Just Another Steampunk Gamer
by General Texas
Summary: Yeah, I got bored and decided to try my hand. I actually like it so far, so let's try this out. Try out the Gamer in a brand new flavor: Industrial and Steampunk. New stats and classes, new Level system, and new style altogether. T for safety. Fantasy and Steampunk. May be overwhelming at first.
1. Chapter 1

**So I've been doing some reading on the website, looking between RWBY Gamer stories and Fairy Tail stuff, and I couldn't help but wonder: why is it that the best ones I see are set in Renaissance, Medieval, or Dark Ages? Why is it that technology is limited to Steam Age and earlier? Why are all the houses Tudor style? Why are the only skyscrapers either superweapons, libraries, or parts of castle walls or keeps? And most importantly of all: why is it that when characters are thrust into the modern era with Gamer powers, they're the only one with the ability? Why do magic and technology never work in tandem? And where can I get myself some steampunk?**

**And then it hit me. Why do I have to find it? I'm an author, for crying out loud! I can write whatever the Hell I want to and read it anytime I want to. Because of that, this story is going to be a little (a lot) more different than other stories I've written (or ever done). So let me get some things out of the way first.**

**The story will follow around Jaune Arc, as is with most Gamer stories I've had the pleasure of reading. However, most start out with either a timeskip, rules to prevent leveling until a certain time, or MC being the only one with the power. This one will be a little bit different. We will actually show the MC reaching Level 1 in the first chapter, no spoilers because this is the first chapter. In this story, no one starts with any Levels, no one is born with any XP (Experience) because babies, and no one begins their story with passive XP gain. Also, stats gain is based on actions, battles, and other doable things that might actually affect someone in the real world such as manual labor or reading a book. And furthermore, certain stats are simply averages or the highest of however many sub-stats in that general stat there are, as in the real world your manual labor strength is not the same as your combat ability. Lastly, Faunus might be a discriminatory thing in RWBY but so are lower Levels or certain classes like I've seen in other Gamer tales. I will not spoil anything else, but you'll soon figure it out. Enjoy, and try not to hate too early.**

**Before we get started in earnest, I'd like to point out that I neither created nor own RWBY. I also did not create the Gamer story type. The former was a combination effort of the late legend Monty Oum and the equally intriguing RoosterTeeth. The latter I have no freaking clue about it, but to each his own so I still don't know because I don't know if someone else did something quite like this before me. The only thing I know is that the rules are my brain child and it could be that someone else thought of it first so please have mercy on me in the reviews. Now sit back, relax, and enjoy the insanity that is an Autistic mind at work in fictional realities.**

* * *

Jaune was excited. As in incredibly excited. He was so young - five years of age - and already was he entering grade school. Well, sort of. He was actually about to reach Level 1, which required something around 15 XP if his father was to be believed. Since attending a school of any sort required that one reach Level 1 at the minimum, he technically had two reasons to be excited. Furthermore, he actually stood a chance of gaining passive XP at Level 1, or some other cool ability. He was excited, and he had good reason to be at that.

Still, one couldn't be too eager to count their chickens before they hatched. He had yet to receive those last points of XP, which wasn't even 1 point anymore. If anything, he only needed .015 XP to fully reach Level 1. How much that was, he had yet to learn, but that's why he was so excited. He wanted to learn, he wanted to grow up and be smart and grow strong and be big like his mother, father, and seven older sisters. Yes, he was the last Arc to be born and proud of it. What he wasn't proud of was how much his sisters tended to toy with him like some kind of doll. His oldest sister, Saffron, was the one who usually did his hair up in little bows and made him wear dresses, which annoyed him to no end. He might not have a problem with Mages, but he certainly had a problem with this one.

Speaking of classes, that was kind of special in this world. See, one didn't simply get a class at a certain Level, as there have been cases where one got their class before even gaining their first Level, but those people were Savants. As for what each class could do, even that was up in the air. Any class could use most weapons, perform almost any action, et cetera; however, certain classes had bonuses, buffs, or other legs up over others. Specific abilities, skills, and even entire stats were only available to certain classes, and it was rare that one got those things without being that class. Armors, accessories, and special clothes were more often than not meant to be worn by specific classes, although the generic clothes could be worn by anyone. For example, corsets could be worn by anyone, even exclusive to gender and age as Jaune discovered once no thanks to Saffron's girlfriend Terra. He always seemed to have the worst luck with other people, didn't he?

Anyways, stats were a fickle thing as well. The Labor stat was different from the Fighting stat, although both stemmed from the same branch of Strength, and other stats had similar branches like Strength. Constitution even had its own sub-stats, Immunity, Endurance, and Tolerance. Endurance was different than any other stat Jaune has yet encountered, as it stemmed from _both_ Strength and Constitution. He was once confused about it, but his father laughed when he brought it to his attention, claiming that he would learn more about it at Level 5. What a bit of help that was, but his father knew more.

Right now, Jaune knew the stats of his family through hearsay and the Family Records. This is what he knew so far, ranking each family member in order of age:

Strength: Father, 56; Mother, 64; Saffron, 28; Amethyst, 26; Pearl, 26; Crystal, 25; Diamond, 39; Tulip, 15; Quartz, 10; Beryl, 5; Jaune, 0.5. He wasn't too embarrassed by this, as he was little and wasn't supposed to be super strong yet. He would get there, he was adamant about that.

Intelligence: Father, 36; Mother, 48; Saffron, 45; Amethyst, 40; Pearl, 41; Crystal, 35; Diamond, 28; Tulip, 16; Quartz, 13; Beryl, 8; Jaune, 0.75. This is where Jaune starts to get embarrassed. He isn't known for wanting to be just like daddy, since his sisters have that covered quite nicely. By the way, they all just so happen to be Mage subclasses.

Constitution: Father, 34; Mother, 40; Saffron, 20; Amethyst, 18; Pearl, 16; Crystal, 13; Diamond, 30; Tulip, 5; Quartz, 5; Beryl, 6; Jaune, 1. This is where Jaune gets proud, as none of his siblings save for Diamond and neither of his parents reached a Constitution of 1 all around before reaching Level 1. One might think this is necessary for a Mage, but it actually isn't. Actually, Fighters, Sword Masters, Physicians, and Tradesmen need it more than anyone else, since they use it more often for their class activities. Especially the subclasses of Mage and Sword Master, the Paladin and Inquisitor. Or so his father told him, but that really intrigued him nonetheless.

Agility: Father, 28; Mother, 15; Saffron, 16; Amethyst, 10; Pearl, 13; Crystal, 9; Diamond, 15; Tulip, 19; Quartz, 7; Beryl, 4; Jaune, 1. Again, rather embarrassing to Jaune, as no one has even reached above an average of 30 Agility in this family yet. And he's being lenient for Tulip, Quartz, and Beryl since they're not much older than he is.

Resistance: Father, 78; Mother, 79; Saffron, 34; Amethyst, 15; Pearl, 16; Crystal, 13; Diamond, 88; Tulip, 8; Quartz, 2; Beryl, 4; Jaune, 1. This is the strange part of the story, as normally an Arc will simply develop multiple resistances at a time until finally they all just snap and reach those high numbers. Diamond, on the other hand, has gone all the way in training her body until she is completely resistant to most things; either that, or she happens to be so clumsy that she falls into everything dangerous. A good thing she likes pain. He thinks Quartz called her a massive kiss or something, but whatever it was it means she likes pain. As for Quartz, he just doesn't like pain that much, hence not having a high Resistance. Yes, Quartz is Jaune's only brother.

Social: Father, 104; Mother, 22; Saffron, 40; Amethyst, 78; Pearl, 56; Crystal, 38; Diamond, 15; Tulip, 18; Quartz, 10; Beryl, 5; Jaune, 0.9. This is where someone might get angry at him for saying it out loud, but it can easily be explained. His mother is antisocial, so the only reason she even fell for Dad was his huge charisma. As for Diamond… yeah, even Jaune might say she's a hopeless cause. Don't get him wrong, he loves her to death, but she can't talk to a fence post without freaking out and holding either Jaune or Beryl in front of her like a shield. Yeah, she has that kind of problem: immense stagefright and low self-confidence.

Levels: Father, 115; Mother, 112; Saffron, 58; Amethyst, 56; Pearl, 57; Crystal, 34; Diamond, 66; Tulip, 44; Quartz, 15; Beryl, 5; Jaune, 0. Only full Levels count on this, so Jaune isn't too upset about it. If anything, he's excited. Someday soon, he may yet have a chance of rising to or above his father's Level. Then again, his father _is_ a Savant, one of the highest subclasses of Mage.

As for abilities, Jaune has none. His brother has the ability to focus on something like a hawk, hence him becoming somewhat of an Arcane Archer. His father's abilities are something to fathom, envy, and fear simultaneously when he uses even one. Heavenly Gaze allows him to scare off both undead and dark creatures with a single glance, and to be honest it works on the living and light as well. Curse Banish is basically what it says in the name, along with the chance of placing a curse on or outright banish the caster of the curse or banishment to a place Jaune is too young to know about just yet.

And then there is perhaps the most terrifying of all: Lightborn, which allows his father to unleash a powerful light equivalent to the average of his Level, Resistance, and Strength. It can sometimes come in the form of titanic wings each the size of a city block, or it can just make his body shine. Regardless, any undead, dark, or otherwise malevolent creature can either get completely destroyed, damaged appropriately, or scared off from his mere presence. While awe-inspiring, it is also quite terrifying and has made Jaune cry on at least one occasion.

Right now, Jaune is reading a simple book given to him by his aunt for either his birthday, Festa during the winter, or something just for the sake of giving it to him. Regardless, he happens to be reading it because his mother wants him to increase his Intelligence, even though he really wants to work on his Strength and help his father with whatever he does. Then again, he really enjoys helping wash the dishes because he thinks it's fun. Unlike most children who lose the Happy buff when something happens, Jaune always has it on him because very little can turn his day upside down due to his ever hopeful nature. His eyes always sparkle like stars on a moonlit night, his smile in a permanent crescendo, and his energetic enthusiasm unending for any reason, even going to sleep.

He reached the end of the book, and looked excitedly at his small bracelet. This particular bracelet, as his mother told him, will light up when he reaches Level 1. Unfortunately, reading this book didn't seem to do the trick, as the bracelet was still grey and cold-looking.

A familiar bell rang, and Jaune got out of his seat and ran to the door as quick as his little legs could take him. Quartz had just come home, and Jaune always wanted to help his older brother when he got home. Today, he might actually get that chance. Sure enough, Quartz entered the door carrying a small bag with a single book in it, as well as a huge bag full of equipment. What this equipment was, Jaune didn't know. All he knew was that his brother might need help.

"Quartz," Jaune called in his small voice. His voice might be small, but it sure carried. Quartz turned to his brother and smiled kindly. His hands were full, and he struggled to get through the door because of the bags he carried. Quartz was nearly twelve by now, his youngest sister merely eight; as such, Jaune had some serious looking up to do if he wanted to look his brother in the eye up close.

"Hello, Jaune," Quartz returned, struggling through the door as best as he could. "I might need some help, if you are willing." Jaune skidded to a halt at his brother's feet, an eager look on his face. "Could you take this bag here and set it on the table for me? I can't quite fit through the door while I'm carrying it."

Jaune agreed, taking said bag and waddling to the table with it. The book bag seemed heavy to him, but his arms slowly got used to it. He could feel his Strength stat slowly rising, specifically the Labor stat coming up quickly. He was too young for a Combat stat, but he could get there when he was older. That was his main problem with Strength, his biggest drawback.

Jaune sat down in his chair and, struggling to reach as he was, set the book on the table just in front of him. A sudden light caught his attention, and like the squirrelly boy that he was immediately looked over to the source. His face almost immediately lit up like the dawn itself. He hopped off the chair and raced over to his brother, the nearest family member, to show him his proud achievement.

"Quartz, Quartz," Jaune called excitedly. "Lookie, lookie!"

"Just a sec, brother," Quartz answered. "Let me set this down, and… ah, now what is it?" The older brother, the only one in the family with naturally silver hair, looked at the bracelet on his brother's wrist, seeing the shine it held. No more was it grey, but now it held a bright golden shine like his mother said it would. "Way to go, little brother. I'm proud of you. Now go tell Momma what you did, I'm sure she'll be very proud of you."

Jaune excitedly made his way to his mother and showed her the bright band. She too congratulated him, as did his father and the rest of his siblings. However, their expressions were about to change drastically.

* * *

"I'm sorry, sir," the Doctor apologized prematurely. "I understand that your youngest son has just reached Level 1, but he has also awakened something inside of him." I sat on the table, confused about the sad look on the Doctor's face.

"Awakened what, exactly," my father asked the Physician. "And why are you apologizing? You haven't done anything wrong."

"But I can't help your son as it is," the Doctor explained. "It seems as though I was right about your wife contracting that Parasite. The creature should have been taken care of as soon as it entered the bloodstream."

"So how does this affect my son, again," Daddy asked. "You keep saying something about him, then a Parasite. Did he contract a Parasite?"

"Technically, yes and no," the Doctor went into detail. "Your wife caught it during her pregnancy with your youngest son, and it seems as though _he_ was the one who ended up with it without our realizing it."

"Again, how does it affect him," Daddy asked the Doctor. "As in what does it do? Can we get it out of him? Et cetera. Details, Doctor. You know me."

"Alright, let me begin by saying that this Parasite only started feeding when your son reached Level 1," the Physician explained. "This particular Parasite doesn't steal his ability to survive in any physical way. Instead, from what I've gathered, it will steal his XP as he earns it. How much it will steal is unknown, but I have seen this kind of creature before. Furthermore, it seems to be of a higher Level."

"Higher Level how?" Daddy inquired.

"As in the Parasite within your son's body is at Level 245, significantly out of my surgical range," the Doctor informed. "At that Level, the most it _will_ take is half of his XP because it knows that at this high of a level it is virtually untouchable by most Surgeons. However, it could easily take all of his XP for itself and still be unsatisfied. It all depends on what it does next."

"So we can starve it, right," Daddy asked. The Doctor shook his head.

"Not quite, but I can give some recommendations," said the Doctor. "I could recommend a high Level Surgeon, if you have the money to go to him. I could also try a Banishment, but that could also risk your son going with the Parasite. Honestly, the best option is for your son to raise his stats to a high enough point where either the Parasite gets scared and leaves or he can defeat the Parasite on his own."

Daddy was silent for a moment. He looked around, and I knew he was thinking for a solution.

"What are the stats on that Parasite," Daddy eventually asked.

"Pretty high for a Parasite of this Level," the Doctor answered. "Its Resistance to Physical damage could be in the range of 20 to 50. Magical Resistance seems to be closer to 40 at maximum, but I have been wrong before. As for the Strength stat, it barely reaches 0.5, so your son is fine on that part. So long as he builds his Immunity, he should be unaffected by the Parasite."

"And its Constitution?"

"Definitely upwards of 70," the Doctor replied. "Your son is on the right track, to be honest. Even if he doesn't gain a Level for the next five years, he could very well beat this Parasite in that time."

I was still confused. A week of school has passed, my Intelligence stat has gone up at least once, and my Social stat has finally reached 1. My Level, however, hasn't changed in the slightest. If anything, I barely gained 0.075 XP from a full week of school. Not that we did much during that time, but all the same. How could that… whatever it is affect me in the slightest?

**END**

* * *

**Thus concludes the first chapter. Next chapter will be pseudo-expositional, as we will be taking a look at what comes after Level 1. If you like the story and want to see more, Favorite and Follow so you never miss an update. If you want to say something, be sure to leave a Review or go ahead and PM me. I also have a story on Fairy Tail called Fairy Knight, so if you like that be sure to check that out. Other than that, have a nice day. This is General Texas, signing out.**


	2. Chapter 2

**The author does not own RWBY, is not part of RoosterTeeth, and is not the first person to write a Gamer story. He just likes the genre, to be honest.**

* * *

**Jaune Arc**

**Level 1, no class**

**Strength: 0.65 (Labor 1.5, Combat 0.01)**

**Intelligence: 0.9 (Wisdom 0.5, Intelligence 1)**

**Constitution: 1 (Immunity 1.1, Endurance 1, Tolerance 1)**

**Agility: 1**

**Social: 1**

**Resistance: 1 (Physical 1, Magical 0)**

**Abilities: None**

**Passive XP: 0.025 per day**

**Buffs**

**Happy: Immunity, Endurance, and Social efficiency increased.**

**Comfy: Tolerance and Social efficiency increased.**

**Parasite Host: decreases XP gain by 0.5 multiplier.**

**Equipment: Cotton Clothes (Comfy modifier)**

**XP to Level 2: 0.2 of 30**

* * *

"Alright, class," the teacher said in her honey-sweet voice. The class of five-year-olds perked their heads up excitedly. "Today we will be learning numbers…"

The world seemed to drone on like this to me for weeks. While the concept of numbers was new to me, I just couldn't bring myself to truly focus. This Parasite was sucking up half of my ability to focus along with half of my XP, forcing me to pay attention to both the Parasite constantly saying something about playing with it _and_ the teacher telling us about the numbers 1 through 10, basic addition, and basic subtraction. I've been having these problems ever since I became Level 1, and it's been annoying me ever since. I'm starting to wonder if that Doctor was actually right or not.

It hasn't been all bad, though. My stats aren't going down, and nor has my Level, which is a plus. I just hope that doesn't change for a while. I was still happy and comfy, which were bonuses. There was one boy here who seemed too bored to focus. Actually, no. He seemed… sad, to be honest. I could only assume that he wanted a friend, but we couldn't talk in class unless the teacher let us or until nap time.

Minutes passed into hours, and those turned into what felt like days. Not because of boredom, but because the Parasite was just that persistent. Luckily, I was known for retaining information that I had just learned for a few days, giving me enough time to truly learn and retain it so long as I wasn't distracted. I just wished it would quit bothering me so much.

The next thing I was truly able to focus on was the teacher giving us a fun project. She gave us all number cards, never over ten between us and our partner, and told us to find someone so we could do our project. The added benefit was gaining social experience, giving us a chance to make friends and truly meet our classmates.

I found a boy with medium blonde hair, dark blue eyes, and a smile that didn't exist and decided to make him my partner. I learned that his name was Cardin, and he had similar stats to me. His Strength stat was nearly 0.75, which made me slightly jealous but nothing to cry home about. My Intelligence was slightly higher than his, with his barely being 0.95. Neither of us knew what that meant, but we did end up having fun together. After our little project, I asked him if he wanted to hang out or play during our recess, which he cautiously agreed to. I felt a minor rush of XP, with half of the rush going to me and half of it being swallowed by the Parasite.

'_Good boy_,' the Parasite hummed within my mind. '_But I want to play, too._'

I wasn't dumb enough to fall for that one, but it was definitely experienced. I knew, from what the Doctor told Daddy, that Parasites with Levels over 150 could hide their traits from others easily, only using what they need at the moment. While I was tempted to learn more about it, I knew that it was trying to hurt me in some way and refused to let it have its way. On the plus side, my Intelligence and Social stats definitely climbed in that short project. And dealing with the Parasite was raising my Wisdom Stat slowly, meaning I was getting smarter about my choices.

During recess, Cardin, some other kids, and myself played Hide and Seek, Tug of War, and Tag. We actually had a ton of fun, and I could see Cardin smile finally. He wasn't comfortable playing with Faunus kids, but he really enjoyed playing with all of us. Our laughter and playing brought attention from the teachers and some of the parents who could stay over. Some of them seemed slightly concerned, but most had a smile on their faces.

We were called in once our last game was over, and we moved on. Our next lesson was reading, writing, and spelling new words, which I found only somewhat hard. Cardin and I weren't paired up this time, with him instead being brought over to a Faunus girl and me being left with a boy with spiky-looking golden hair. I never learned his name, only that he didn't like to talk if it wasn't for some special reason. I _did_, however, figure out rather quickly that he was a Mage when he cast a Silence spell on me. He was breathing heavily after that, which told me that he wasn't all that great with Magic just yet. Thankfully he got into trouble for doing so, and the teacher used an ability known as Nullify All. The Silence spell broke, allowing me to speak, and the Parasite got angry at this since its ability to drain my XP in any way was taken away.

Daddy picked me up from school that day, asking me what all happened today. I told him most of everything, leaving out the part where the Parasite was talking to me as it was old news at this point. He was proud of me today for making a friend, and told me that making friends was good. He told me to keep making friends, as they would be useful in the future if - no, when - I became a Mage. I was slightly disheartened at that, as I had just had a bad experience with a Mage and he still wanted me to be one.

* * *

XP to Level 2: 1.2 of 30. Strength: 0.95 (Labor 1.5, Combat 0.5). Intelligence: 1.2 (Wisdom 0.75, Intelligence 1.1). Constitution: 1.1 (Immunity 1.2, Endurance 1.2, Tolerance 1.1). Agility: 1.5 (Flexibility 0.5, Speed 1). Social: 2. Resistance: 1 (Physical 1, Magical 0.01). No class, no Abilities.

I sighed and took my hand off of the Token Mirror. Grown I may have today, but it wasn't what I expected. This Parasite was getting on my nerves, it really was. I didn't know what to do next. Even doing twice as much so I could gain just as many Levels as everyone else seemed too much of an unfair deal. I felt honestly lost, and hopelessly so at that.

I just hoped that I could find a way to fix it soon. I wanted to be like everyone else in the world, but with this Parasite bringing me down, I didn't know if I could. It was making me focus on it so that I couldn't get rid of it, stealing my XP so I couldn't gain Levels, talking to me so that I felt like I was crazy, and becoming a general… a general… oh gosh, what's the word? Okay, dictionary, annoying noun… annoying noun… ah, a nuisance. Yeah, the Parasite is being a general nuisance to me.

Well, I guess it isn't all bad. It makes me want to learn so I can beat it, so I guess that's good. Still, most of it is pretty bad. I would probably reach Level 2 by the time everyone else reaches Level 3, and so on and so forth. I hate this Parasite.

* * *

"Hey, Jaune," Cardin said as he sat next to me for lunch. He had his brown sack in his hand, with a wrapped sandwich and a sliced apple inside just waiting to be taken and eaten. I had something similar inside of mine, as the teachers gave us lunch every day. "Can I sit with you?" I nodded, and he plopped down right next to me.

"Hi, Cardin," I said as I opened my sack. "How are you?"

"I'm doing okay," he said. He opened his sack and reached inside just as I reached inside of mine. "Mommy came home angry again." I picked up on his tone pretty quick, and saw that he had a red mark on his left cheek left over from something that happened. On his cheek was a small cut that had scabbed over by now. "Daddy says that everything will be okay, but I'm scared that it won't be."

I was starting to get worried myself, to be honest. Mommy never did anything like that to me because she was angry. Actually, she would more often than not spank me if I misbehaved too much. Seeing this both made me aware of how lucky I was and made me want to do something about it.

"Do you want to come over to my house until your mommy comes home," I asked him. He was just about to bite into an apple slice when I said that. "We can ask our Daddies after school."

He took a while to respond, having to chew and swallow his bite of apple. I waited patiently for his response, eating an apple slice of my own.

"You really want to do that," Cardin asked. Hope filled his eyes, something I saw lacking in my own eyes when I looked in the mirror this morning. I nodded eagerly, happy to at least help a friend. "Thank you, thank you! I'll ask Daddy today and see if we can."

"Okay," I smiled. Our lunch got more fun after that, and we spent most of recess after that having fun and playing together with our little group of friends. The Mage who cast Silence on me yesterday had to sit by the teacher until the end of class today, which was fine by me.

After school today, Daddy came to pick me up, and I asked him right off the bat if Cardin could come over until his mommy got home. Both of our parents agreed, and Cardin came to stay at my house until Cardin's mom came home. Things got extremely worrisome when we had to make supper for one extra person, as his mother didn't come over until at least an hour after that. And when she did, boy was there fear in Cardin. His father took him gently by the hand and led him to the steam-powered car at the corner of the paved cobblestone street. His mother was luckily nowhere to be found, but hearing Cardin that scared made me worried beyond measure.

* * *

The next week, Cardin came to school with a bruise on his left eye. A small cut was just to the left of the corner of his eye, and the teacher had to get a bandage from her desk so she could take care of it. Lunch that day was rather quiet, but near the end he finally spoke.

"Sorry for not talking today," Cardin apologized. "I've just had a bad week is all." Bad week sounds like a weak term.

"Do you want to talk about it," I asked, not wanting to push him. He remained silent for a few moments before finally speaking.

"Annie and Daddy were leaving each other, and I was going with Daddy," Cardin explained. "Annie got mad and punched me in the face. Daddy got mad at her and told me to leave the house, to go to the house next door. That was yesterday." I remained silent for a moment or two, soaking all of this up. His situation was that bad? Makes the Parasite not seem as bad anymore.

"What happened this morning," I asked, somewhat wary after the story I've heard. Cardin tried to keep his composure as he finished his story.

"The police were in my house this morning, and they told me that Annie was going to jail," he finished. "They said that she hurt Daddy pretty bad, and he fell asleep in the hospital. They said that he wasn't going to wake up, and that I should find someone else to take care of me."

My Happy buff fell for the first time in my life. My mind was reeling, and for once the Parasite shut up. All at once, everything simply stopped. Daddy had once told me that when people fall asleep and don't wake up for a long time, that means that they died. They never talk again, they never walk again, they never open their eyes again. They never do anything ever again. Hearing this from Cardin was outright saddening. Although, where was his mom in the story?

"What about your mom," I asked cautiously, not wanting to make him remember something too sad or scary.

"Annie _is_ my mom," Cardin said, his voice breaking as he started to cry. The Parasite never spoke again. After school, Daddy picked me up again, and I told him all about the day. Cardin did the same, although in more detail to Daddy than he told me. He actually saw his father's body, and there was a red spot in his head and a red line on his throat.

I don't know what happened with Daddy after that, but he dropped us off at my house before going somewhere. He said he had business to do, and that he would only be an hour. Two hours later he came back with papers with things that I didn't know about. The Happy buff didn't return for me or Cardin until two weeks later.

* * *

Over the course of a few days, the days following Cardin coming to school with bruises, we remained close together. Closer than ever before, actually. Daddy said that we would take care of him for the time being, though how long that was was unknown. What I did know was that the Parasite was becoming more active. The teacher had brought a Token Mirror to class and asked us all to put our hands on it one at a time. I went first for some reason, and I did as I was told.

Jaune Arc, Level 1. No class, no Abilities. XP to Level 2: 4.2 of 30. Strength: 1.2 (Labor 1.7, Combat 0.9). Intelligence: 1.5 (Wisdom 1, Intelligence 1.3). Constitution: 1.3 (Immunity 1.4, Endurance 1.3, Tolerance 1.2). Agility: 1.9 (Flexibility 0.6, Speed 1.3). Social: 2.5. Resistance: 1.1 (Physical 1.1, Magical 0.01).

The Mage kid scoffed at this from behind me. The Parasite didn't care for this. I already just didn't like the kid, so no change there. He went next. Turns out, my Constitution and Social stats were higher than his, which amused me. He got angry and cast another Silence on me. It made me silent alright, but I was still able to hear myself quietly whisper through the spell. I didn't know why, so I could only assume that the spell was just weak because he's not experienced with it or old enough to cast properly. Yet another Nullify All was used, and the Mage boy was yet again sent to the timeout corner. And yet another reason why I don't want to be a Mage. Mages almost always see themselves as above other classes, but sometimes the more physical or brute classes beat down on the Mages if they have a high Resistance to Magic.

Cardin was at the back of the line, and was the last to touch the mirror. This is what it said:

Cardin Winchester: Level 1. No class, no Abilities. XP to Level 2: 12.1 of 30. Strength: 2. Intelligence: 1.2 (Wisdom 0.99, Intelligence 1). Constitution: 0.95 (Immunity 0.9, Endurance 1.5, Tolerance 0.5). Agility: 1.2. Social: 1.7. Resistance: 3.3 (Physical 3.3, Magical 0). Passive XP: 0.045 per day.

I was impressed with how well-rounded he was, given that two stats listed no further explanations. What got me the most was the Resistance. How did he get that so high, anyways? Certainly higher than mine, it was. Furthermore, he was also closer to his next Level than I was, which kind of made me envious in a way.

* * *

I began struggling in class after we touched the Token Mirror. Not because the problems were hard, but because my XP wasn't nearly where it should be and I was thus falling behind everyone else in the Levels department. The teacher told me not to worry about it, but told my father otherwise. She wanted me to reach Level 2 by the end of the year, else she would remove me from the class and put me in with the slower kids. My father grew visibly upset with this, and we left shortly after that meeting. As for Cardin, he was doing great. He had only a few more weeks going on as he was to reach Level 2, and his stats showed it. My stats were starting to rise above his, but I was still the worst of the class.

I hated this Parasite. I had only 9.9 XP of 30 to reach Level 2, and this thing was the cause. It wanted me to blame Cardin, blame Daddy, blame Mommy, blame anyone but it, but I knew what was the source. I just needed a source of XP so I could keep up in class, but I didn't know what to do.

My stats were doing okay, on the other hand. My Strength stats were through the roof, nearly where I should be if I were to reach Level 2 right now. However, I figured that I should just slow down. To be honest, I just needed to take a break before I lost my mind.

I never noticed that, while I was throwing an apple up in the air and catching it with both hands, writing in a journal to improve my writing style, making up math problems in my mind and solving them, I was gaining XP slowly. Faster than my passive, but certainly slowly.

* * *

**INTERMISSION**

News flash of the day: I've gotten bored. In all seriousness, I decided to give Cardin a bit of a downer backstory for reasons. I've seen and heard of bullies, and how they almost always have a reason for doing what they do, and I doubt Cardin is any different. I know that the backstory I gave him is a bit violent and sad, and it might hit some of you readers close to home, but this is sometimes what happened back then. I just made it so that both men _and_ women went through this sort of thing. Since I set it in the late Steam Age and early Industrial Era, this kind of thing would have been more common than it is today because stress and alcohol never mix well. This whole thing is pre-prohibition Industrial, although as a side note: Prohibition never stopped alcohol sales. Trade secret: just because you make something illegal doesn't stop it from happening. Anyways, back to the story.

**INTERMISSION**

* * *

A year has passed in the quiet town of Aurum, just down the road from Vale. We were heading back to Aurum from a visit with a Doctor in Vale. Tests were run on the Parasite, and Cardin had sprained his ankle when he tripped going upstairs. I was worried for him, but what brother wouldn't be worried for his foster sibling? Oh yeah, I forgot to say that he's technically adopted now. Still a Winchester, but now lives under the Arc roof. Also, he and I are both now Level 2. I had managed to pull through in the end after Quartz needed some help with things after he broke his arm. Because of that, my Strength stat sort of went crazy. My Intelligence as well, since he needed help assembling some armor for a Paladin. As a Forge Mage, he was more likely to make something magical than do something of the same sort.

Cardin was now attending both a primary school and a combat school so that he could maybe become his favored class: a Heavy Knight. While only six years old, it was a good match for him given his high Physical Resistance. As a matter of fact, his Resistance stat was already as high as 7. He had limited Magical Resistance, but Magic training wasn't available until the age of 10. His Strength was just as high, already at an astonishing 5. His Agility wasn't as high, but his Constitution was a well-rounded 8.

As for me, well… I was a little higher in the Intelligence department. I had reached 9 by my 6th birthday, and 11 when I finally made Level 2. My Constitution was pretty alright as well, a decent 9 on our return trip. My Endurance and Tolerance were only at 7, but Immunity was insanely high at a whopping 18. Strength was pretty alright as well, 6 after helping Quartz. Resistance, on the other hand, was at 11 and climbing. This is because Beryl is at that point in a Mage's life where they begin venting Magic uncontrollably because Magic needs to be tamed before it can be used. She had difficulty taming it at first, and is still getting the hang of it, but hasn't quite gotten the reins in yet. Since she wants company so she doesn't feel alone or left out, I volunteer most of the time to bring her things and spend time with her. This has made my Magic Resistance soar to 11 or so, and the occasional pulse of energy sending me into a wall has raised my Physical Resistance to around 6 or so given that the pulses aren't too common.

Now here comes the more disturbing part: the Parasite gives me multiple debuffs simultaneously. First is Weakness, which decreases the effectiveness of my Strength and Physical Resistance stats; not so bad, I'm just a kid. Then comes Second Opinion, through which it can speak to me without anyone seeing or hearing anything and therefore calming the part of my brain telling me that I've gone looney. Thirdly is XP Drain, which is only draining half of the XP I gain and no more. And lastly is Symbiotic Binds, which prevents any outside forces from harming the Parasite without harming its host. Fortunately for me, its Resistance stats remain low until it needs to unleash them, so I can catch it off guard. _Un_fortunately, I have no way to beat it thus far, and don't even know where to begin in all honesty. Almost all cases of this particular breed of Parasite have ended in either patient death or a surgery of some kind. However, it luckily seems content with sticking around and doing nothing, else I likely wouldn't even be Level 1 anymore. Seriously, does it have to suck on my XP? Doesn't it have enough already? Level 245 already, sucking on a Level 2 with no class or abilities. Is it seriously that greedy or insecure?

As it stands, we are on our way back home. Or rather, we _were_. A Level 145 Minotaur is blocking the road, fighting a Level 133 Mastodon. One would _think_ that the fight should be easy, given that one has arms and the other doesn't. However, one would again be wrong since the other has at least 17 feet on the one. Dad decided to let the two pass so that no one would get hurt. Still, seeing this in action is really cool. Two high Level monsters duking it out, and I get a front-row seat to watch it. If only I had some popcorn. Dinner and a show, am I right?

The two monsters ended up killing each other after 2 hours of brutal combat, leaving no one to get the XP. Dad let his foot off of the brakes, hit the lever to release the locks on the wheels, and grabbed the steering wheel. Cardin and I were both awestruck after seeing that fight, and I'm pretty sure he and I were wondering the same thing: can we ever get that strong? I could, if not for this stupid Parasite.

I wondered how strong I could be if I managed to get rid of it on my own. I could only imagine the possibilities before me. But for now, I'm again just a kid. I have literally no clue how to make this Parasite go away, if it is at all possible. First things first, I have to survive school and figure out how to get rid of this Parasite. _Then_ I can work on getting rid of it.

We arrived home two more hours later, drowsy and hungry. Momma fixed up some supper for us, some sort of pasta and soup I think, and we went to bed shortly thereafter.

**END**

* * *

**A/N: I think I may have missed the bullseye there. I apologize for anyone looking for more, but I simply couldn't find anything to write after that. I may have rushed it, but I'm 20. It's been a few years since I've been five, six, and so on. As such, I may need to do another time skip sort of thing here so that I can actually figure out what I'm doing. By the way, I'm glad that so many people are enjoying the story so far. I kind of like what I'm doing with Cardin, but I'm not done just yet… I don't think. Other main characters will pop up eventually, but definitely not now. My brain is still revolting from thinking as simply as a five-year-old in the Industrial Revolution filled with Magic and the like. So if you'll excuse me for my broken brains, I'll be signing off and working on my other story (shameless plug) Fairy Knight.**

**And for fans of Arc of All Trades, I apologize for the serious delay. I just cannot think of a way to make it work with everything going on in Volume 6 right now. I mean, think about it: not one, but **_**two**_ **all-powerful deities, a madwoman witch who literally cannot be killed, and Jaune is over Pyrrha just like that? I'm sorry, but that's not how my mind works. So please forgive me, I'll come out with something, and I'll get to it eventually. Eventually.**

**Anyways, that's all for now, folks. This is General Texas, signing out.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Don't own RWBY. Not part of RoosterTeeth. Right now don't want to be. No offense to them, if any of them are reading this. It's just not my cup of mojo right now. Actually, I'm more into computer coding than anything, especially the gaming and modding community. I mean, I can list four games off of the top of my head that I wanna mod, one that I wanna help make, and one that I outright wanna make but can't because I don't know many languages aside from basic HTML and CSS, with hints of Javascript and Java here and there. If I did, I would be rich and have no need to go to college. But I don't, so I'm not, and I still need to. Sucks not knowing things.**

* * *

**Jaune Arc**

**Level 2, no class**

**Strength: 6 (Labor 7, Combat 1.6)**

**Intelligence: 12 (Wisdom 6, Intelligence 6)**

**Constitution: 10 (Immunity 18, Endurance 7, Tolerance 7)**

**Agility: 3.4 (Flexibility 1.4, Speed 2)**

**Social: 6**

**Resistance: 11 (Physical 6, Magical 11)**

**Abilities: none**

**Passive XP: 0.03 per day**

**XP to Level 3: 9.3 of 45**

**Equipment: Cotton Clothes (Comfy modifier)**

**Buffs**

**Happy: Immunity, Endurance, Social efficiency increased**

**Comfy: Tolerance and Social efficiency increased**

**Weakness: Strength, Physical Resistance efficiency decreased (Debuff countered by Immunity)**

**Second Opinion: an outside force speaks directly to afflicted, decreases Tolerance efficiency (Debuff countered by Wisdom)**

**XP Drain: Passive XP, Active XP gain decreased by 50%**

**Symbiotic Binds: damage to Parasite affects Host**

**Hard Pressed: Stats (Intelligence, Tolerance, Social) efficiency decreased**

* * *

Class was usually boring. I mean, learning was fun and got my Intelligence up, and my Wisdom got a workout from trying to focus on the teacher rather than the Parasite, but it could also become a blur. Classmates who had lower Intelligence stats or simply had memory problems tended to either slow the teacher down or otherwise extend the lesson unnecessarily, which could get boring quickly. Either that, or the kids were easily distracted or the teacher was just trying to burn through time. As such, I tended to get bored rather quickly in class. And trust me, the Bored debuff is a rough one, since it decreases Wisdom and Tolerance drastically. As such, I would just make up problems in my head to solve or practice writing so I could stay sharp for the next lesson. It was rare that I got stuck, and Cardin hardly ever did either quite frankly.

Anyways, we _did_ end up making new friends: Russel and Sky. Russel already has an Ability, one known as Vitals which allows him to see where we are physically weakest. Not that he can use it, but given that he seems to enjoy a bit of mischief here and there I can honestly say that I wouldn't trust him with a prank. Sky, on the other hand, was pretty much Cardin without the combat schooling. Pretty smart, not the worst guy in the world. He was just taught that Faunus are less than humans and should be treated as such, which we and our friends managed to break him of about a week ago. Not a big deal, just a thing that we did.

You might've noticed that I have the Hard Pressed debuff. Well, that's mostly because this is a new grade level, and as such I have new requirements to reach the next grade. This time, it gets a little more intense: I need to reach Level 3 or 4 to get out of this grade; on the other hand, getting into the next one takes Intelligence 8, Strength 6, and Agility 6. In other words, I need to Level up and get a stats boost before I get into 2nd Grade. Hopefully I can manage, but I can manage some of it. I guess I can try running around some more around the neighborhood, climb a tree maybe. That might get my Agility up and moving.

* * *

It's been two months. I've managed to raise my Agility to 7, with Flexibility 4 and Speed 3. This caused a strange feeling inside of me, and I checked it out this morning. As it turns out, I just raised my stats too quickly and gained the Exhausted debuff, which slows down stats gain and efficiency for a while. At least I no longer have the Bored debuff, which only makes it worse. Man, I am regretting my life choices already.

As for my Level, I managed to gain about 1.8 XP from raising my Agility, 0.9 passively, 4 from class activities, 0.5 from recess, and 0.1 from daily chores. The rest, which _would_ have given me another 10.7 XP, went right to the stupid Parasite. Speaking of, it seems to be upping the ante because my Wisdom keeps struggling with it. And alongside _all of that_, Agility is not the only stat I managed to raise. I developed my specific (sub-stat) Intelligence up to 7 thanks to classes, my Strength to Labor 8 and Combat 3 from climbing trees and running, my Wisdom to 8 from that Parasite talking to me all the time, my Social to 8 from talking to friends when I do, and my Physical Resistance to 9 from the bark of trees and falling. The rise in Strength gave me 1.2 XP, broad Intelligence gave me 1.5, Social just 1 XP, Resistance 1.5, and Agility obviously gave me 1.8. Normally it would be gain for gain - as in raise a sub-stat by 1, gain 1 XP - since I'm so young, but given that the Parasite is sucking up half I only gain at half that rate. Still, beggars can't be choosers unless you're a whiner, and then you're just a whiner and not a beggar. The stats improvement alone gives me a total XP boost of 7 XP including the Agility stuff, raising my total gains for the two months up to 12.5 XP. If my math is correct - and since I was taught some more advanced maths from Quartz when he got bored, it had better be - that brings my current XP to Level 3 all the way up to 21.8 of 45. I'm almost halfway there, and if my gains keep up like this I'll be at Level 3 by the time 2nd Grade ends. Primary School, aka Grade School, ends after 6th grade, after which I can attend one of the real Combat Academies. Just for a reference, Cardin is training at a Combat School, which is different from a Combat Academy in that the latter requires someone to pass 6th Grade while the other just shows said someone some cool martial arts. Dad went to one once, said he hated it. Quartz _is_ going to one, called it alright. I can only assume that it depends on your preference and which one you attend that makes the difference between loving and hating it.

Either way, I've been working on my Endurance as well so I can run faster for longer when I do end up increasing my Speed. It hasn't been working as well, but I can tell I'm close. I'm pushing my limits as far as I can get them so that I can maybe overcome this stupid Parasite. And speaking of which, I've discovered something quite upsetting…

I need either an Ability or a special spell to kill it without hurting me. This special spell could be anything, but it involves reforming my body in some way or keeping myself alive even when something bound to me dies, and the same thing goes with the Ability. Which could be a problem because I don't have an Ability, let alone the knowledge of how to use one. This is upsetting me because of obvious reasons as Abilities come randomly as it did with Quartz, whose only Ability is Dreadnought - a rare skill allowing him to deal massive damage to an opponent - which is useless to him because he doesn't fight or know offensive, defensive, or support Spells. Russel was lucky, as he could've gotten the same treatment as Quartz. I could be just as lucky, or twice as unlucky with an Ability that hurts me. The chances are just too random.

And speaking of chances, Cardin is already just about to reach Level 3. Maybe I should consider joining a Combat School for the XP? I mean, if he's already at that point, maybe doing the same will get me somewhere quicker than what I'm doing?

* * *

Yet another two months later, and I've made so much more progress. My Immunity stat has risen to 20, and my Tolerance has gotten up to 10, but what really shot up was my Endurance. I now have that up to 16, and the accompanying Speed stat is 7. As for what those mean, allow me to explain in what has become an exposition central:

Strength is divided currently into two sub-stats - Labor and Combat. Labor is the limit to how much a person can carry, and a Labor of 1 is equivalent to 5 pounds. This means that, since I have a Labor stat of 9, I can carry around 45 pounds total at any given time, although there have been cases where someone lifted twice their Labor stat for several minutes. This is rare, and comes from a temporary buff known as Hysterical Strength. As for Combat, that gives me an idea of what weapons and armor I can carry, and how easily I could carry and use them. I don't really have a good example other than Dad, at Combat 36, slugging a guy so hard he went through a wall. He said that there are other Strength stats out there, but I haven't heard of them.

As for the sub-stat Intelligence, this shows how much one knows or can know at any given time. Mine is alright, but it isn't where I want it to be. Wisdom shows how well I can focus, and gives an indication of how well I can use my knowledge and stats. Or in my case, how well I can fight off that Second Opinion debuff. Keep in mind that these stats don't show how much I _do_ know, only how much I _can_ know.

Constitution is pretty cool, or creepy in some cases. Immunity tells me how well I can fight off effects, diseases, and debuffs. Right now, it is trying to fight off this Parasite and is the only thing between the Parasite and me being completely weakened or taken over. Endurance shows how long I can do what my other stats say I can do, save for the Intelligence stats. An Endurance of 1 means I can last 30 seconds using another stat of 1, and an Endurance of 4 means I can last 2 minutes, say for instance, carrying 5 pounds or 15 seconds carrying 40. As for Tolerance, this shows me how much pain, annoyance, et cetera I can handle before doing something either reckless, stupid, or something in between. Since I'm not in pain or being annoyed at the moment, I'm doing pretty alright.

Agility is a bit more complicated. See, Flexibility is one of those things that says 'hey, I have monkey arms but I can also fit into tight spaces and reach behind my back and scratch my neck at a really uncomfortable position really easily'. It simply shows how far you can bend, how tight you can fit, before you start feeling pain or getting hurt. Speed, on the other hand, is self-explanatory, as it shows how fast you can run when you sprint or push yourself. Usually, dividing your Speed by two tells your tops speed in miles per hour, but this is not always the case. It is the case for me and Cardin though, but Abilities can affect your speed without affecting your Speed, if that makes any sense. Social is just your skill with speaking to other people put into a number, so mine is pretty poor right now. It'll grow eventually, I'm sure.

Resistance is the fun part, as there is no real set measurements for the numbers here. Physical is how hard of a hit you can take before getting hurt. I can fall from a branch twice my height and only feel a little pain, fall on the brick road without scraping my hands, so I guess mine is pretty high. Magical, on the other hand, is a bit trickier to define, as it determines how well my body can stop, diffuse, or otherwise thwart any Magic Spell thrown my way. Given that the pulses from Beryl no longer send me into a wall, I can only say that maybe 11 is a good number when you're young.

If there are any other stats out there that I haven't mentioned yet, I simply haven't discovered them yet, if I ever will. I do know that there is a Maga stat, one meant to measure how much Magic one has inside of them, but I don't know what that might entail.

As for what Levels you have, it's basically your limit on what Skills you can obtain. The one thing standard across Levels is the fact that at Level 5 you can obtain Skills, and every Level past 5 grants you more Skills to choose from. Per Level, you can only obtain 1 Skill except for Level 10, 20, and so on in that pattern, at which point you can gain 3 Skills. Level 5 is the exception to this rule, as you normally gain 2 Skills. Since I'm not close to Level 5 yet, I don't have much knowledge about Skills, but I do know that Levels aren't the only way to get them. For example, if I climbed enough trees I could gain a Skill related to that, cooking and baking could give me related Skills, and even Abilities can sometimes give Abilities. Levels are just the easiest way to get desired Skills, on top of being a social hierarchy sort of thing, allowing one to perform certain actions, determining how much loot is dropped from monsters… okay, Levels are a tad more important than is usually let on, but not much is really known about Levels in the first place. And no, I really don't have a Skill either. Cardin thinks he's close to getting one, but so do I because I climb trees.

The observant eye might have remembered that I mentioned gaining some stats earlier and, putting two and two together, figured out that I must have gained some XP as well. Said observant eye(s) would be correct in that assumption. Since my stats went up around 19 times, 20 if one includes the Physical Resistance stat going up to 10 just yesterday, that does mean I gained 10 XP. Adding in the limited XP I keep getting for random and sometimes boring tasks - which totals around 5 due to school activities, chores, and passive gain - that means I now have 36.8 XP towards Level 3. If things kept going on as they were, I would reach Level 3 in just one more month. However, they _wouldn't_ keep going up like this. My stats will eventually suffer from Diminishing Returns, a debuff which comes when one repeats a task too much and their stats stop growing for that particular action unless the ante rises. This means that my XP will soon start slowing down, meaning that I'll have to work harder to reach new Levels.

I can only hope that this doesn't happen yet.

* * *

Another two months later, and I was right. Climbing trees so often has slowed my stats growth, specifically my Labor, Endurance, and Physical stats. To be specific, Labor and Physical peaked at 9 and 11 respectively, with Endurance still being pushed by running around all day. Actually, Endurance and Speed are peaking as well at 18 and 8 respectively. My Tolerance is still at 10, and probably will be for some time. However, I did manage to gain XP regardless. Even 3 XP for raising my stats, as little as they rose, was more than enough. Class activities usually give me around 0.1 XP per day of school, and there are usually 20 school days in an optimal month. This means 7 total XP from the past 2 months so far, and including passive XP adds yet another 0.9 XP. Chores have since stopped giving me XP, which is saddening but quite alright. The gain was becoming minimal at best anyways, so I had no qualms about it.

Without including the rest of it, I was now a mere 0.3 XP away from Level 3 (what a coincidence); however, I'm not done with the list just yet. I had one big school project starting last month after the Festa Break, one which involved learning about the Elements and finding their natural Nexus in the wild. Of course, the teacher told us to stay safe while doing so, but we were told to do so and we started. While other students were fascinated with other Nexus and Elements, I was amazed by the landscapes around them and what each Element did. For example, a Water Nexus could be found in lakes, deep rivers, and dotted across the ocean. These particular Nexus caused the land around them to be ground into fine sand and allowed fish to live and grow. Not all Nexus were the same either, as some baby fish could only grow in Lake Water Nexus while the adults had to swim to Ocean Water Nexus. This was strange to me once, but I was beyond intrigued by all of this.

I also learned where some kinds of monsters come from: Corrupt Nexus. They form when a Nexus becomes polluted or too much of another element comes in too quickly, and the Nexus tries to get rid of the bad stuff by making new things with it. These new things are usually monsters, and take on various traits depending on what the Nexus was and what got in it. Leviathan monsters in the oceans come from Water Nexus getting too much Earth and Darkness Elements. Monsters can also form when too much of certain Elements come together in one place, even if that place isn't part of a Nexus. Grimm class monsters can form anywhere that holds too much Darkness Element, and other Elements can change what kind of creature it is.

As I've discovered on my own, finding a natural Nexus of any Element can give you a great amount of XP, about 20 per Nexus found (or 10 for me). Finding creatures that live there also give XP, though that only amounts to 5 XP at most, 2.5 if you happen to be like me. However, this would get higher as I grow older, most likely because I'm too young to fully comprehend a Nexus or the Elements just yet. Because our goal for the Nexus project was to find five Nexus of different Elements, and two different kinds of creatures at each Nexus, I had a minimum XP gain of about 75 for the project. I had already been to one Nexus just last week, a lake near a beautiful mountain range filled with salmon, cod, bass, bears, foxes, wolves, deer, hogs, birds, and much more. From that experience, I had technically gained 20 XP for finding two Nexus so close to each other. The lake was made by a Water Nexus, and the mountains were born from an Earth Nexus, and we arrived from the mountains. The view was incredible enough as it was, but the creatures there were just as amazing. I managed to see a Great Salmon, a largemouth bass as big as I am tall, a bear and her cubs, a deer with huge antlers, and a wolf when it came up to me and sniffed my hand. That gave me 12.5 XP, but again that's not all. On that same trip, I went fishing with Dad and the rest of the family. I managed to catch two bass, which made me both happy and grossed out when Dad taught me how to clean it out. Knowledge! Also XP and experience, as I managed to gain 6 XP apiece for the fish and 3 for cleaning them both out with Dad.

All together, the trip gave me an incredible view, amazing knowledge, 47.5 XP to my name, and an unforgettable experience. Just by seeing the mountains I had made Level 3, and the rest of the trip left me at 47.2 of 70 XP to Level 4. Cardin was now halfway to Level 5, Beryl was right at Level 7, and everyone else was *mostly* unaffected because they had been here many times before. I now have the Amazing Experience buff, giving me more Social and Tolerance efficiency but less Wisdom and Intelligence efficiency. It comes with a week-long Distracted debuff, which makes things worse for Wisdom and Intelligence. Still, even the Parasite was silent for the week after the trip, presumably awestruck by my experience.

And to think, I had four more Nexus sites to go to. I would have to get ready for even more incredible experiences, if this is what my life was about to amount to. Also, that whole site only counted as one site because they were right next to each other.

* * *

Two weeks later, Quartz had to go on a trip to a mine to grab more of some kind of shiny rock. He keeps telling me it was ore, but I never really cared about that. I just wanted to go to this mine because I like cool-sounding things, so he and Dad brought me along. From what I had learned about Elements, I got curious as to what these shiny rocks were made of. When I asked, Quartz told me that it was a Nexus site made from two fused Nexus: Metal Earth and Fire. This caused the rocks within the Nexus site to become refined, surrounded by what he called 'slag' or useless rocks. This refined rock was called metal, and a very special kind of metal called an alloy. Alloys, as Quartz said, were made of two different kinds of metal and usually had properties of both metals. Typically, it was hard to separate two metals, but Forge Mages had ways of separating them.

Again I got curious, and I asked why Quartz needed to come here if that's all metal was; I mean, if all metal is is just a shiny rock, then why are they coming out to get some? This is where Quartz corrected me, stating that metal was harder than other rocks, that it was used to make tools and tall buildings. He also mentioned that metal gets hot faster than regular rocks, and that builders and tradesmen like him took advantage of these properties to make cool things that lasted a really long time. Just like the family sword, Crocea Mors, that Great Grandpa Alexandrite made during the Century War with Atlas.

In the family steam car, we crossed dull plains with foggy mountains off in the distance, huge bridges over grand canyons, a small forest rising on a huge hill on either side of the gravel road, and a rocky desert surrounded on all sides by steep cliffs. I was amazed by all of these sights, as each one displayed the immense beauty that nature could create with its simple tools. Daddy must have seen these things at least once.

We also passed by a village, in which we refilled our water tank and drove off again. Steam cars are like trains except for being smaller and being powered by a special magical device called a Heat Coil, one that ran off of Fire Dust Crystals. Unlike normal rocks and gemstones, Dust could be recharged by Fire Element sources like a Nexus. They only have brakes and ignition pedals, as the engine always went forward at full speed no matter what. The wheel used by the driver was only good for the front two tires, not the four in the back.

Anyways, we got back on the gravel path and made our way to the mines. Quartz explained that the place was dangerous, and that the air had dirt in it that could hurt me if I breathed it in. Because of this, he gave me a hard hat with goggles and a breathing mask on it. He told me that it would protect me if something fell, and that I could breathe with it on my face. Sure enough, it did have a modifier on it: Filtered Breathing, which supposedly cleaned the air that I breathed. The air tasted funny, but I tried not to think about it too much as we entered the imposing cavern.

The two older men should have told me that it was easy to get lost without a light, so I ended up holding Quartz's hand so I could stay with him and Dad. The whole earth seemed to surround me, blocking out light, sound, air, everything. Instead of those things, I felt like the place was just one big eyeball staring at me, one giant hand trying to squeeze me. It was definitely scary, that much I could say for certain.

As we traveled through the twisting rocky halls and stone passageways, I began to feel more uncomfortable, more insecure, more uneasy. There were no lights, no sounds, no nothing. Just rocks, rumbling, and that dreadful sense of fear. The Parasite felt at home, alive and well as it were. Of course _it_ would be happy, it was a Darkness monster in a dank, dark cave. I kept fighting the urge to flee, knowing that running away would only make me more lost than I already was.

Quartz said at one point that we were getting closer to the cave, and Dad grunted in agreement. I had taken it upon myself to remember which ways we went so that I could get out if I needed to. I had to suppress a shiver, ignoring the immense pressures I was feeling here. I'm not gonna lie, it was terrifying to be in here. I had no idea where I was, no way to get back without help, and no sense of direction without Quartz and Dad. All I had was Quartz, the Parasite, and the massive fear I had. It was just… immense.

We eventually reached a large room with a glowing rock inside of it. I felt a short rush of XP enter me. Well, here was the Nexus. It wasn't quite what I expected, to be honest. I expected a big pit of black that would just swallow me up, but here was this room with a cool blue glow that barely lit everything up. The rock was strange, sparkling like the night sky but shining like a crescent moon. It also seemed to hum slightly. Quartz took a chunk of the rock about the size of his head, which was bigger than mine, and stuffed it in a special pouch that kept the light but removed the presence. He said that this rock made the natural creatures of this area want to take it for themselves, but they couldn't because they didn't know how or have the tools to take it.

As we exited the cave system, I figured out pretty quickly what creatures he was talking about. A large spider as big as me with shiny armor on its body and sharp fangs stood off to the side. It had no eyes, but I could tell that it knew where I was. I stayed far away from that thing, even as I gained XP from that encounter. A scorpion as big as Dad was just off to the side in one of the branches. I shivered violently, remembering the warm rush of air on my arm as we passed this area. Had I been any closer to it, that thing would have had me for lunch. I gained XP from that encounter as well. I still didn't like it at all, not one bit.

As we made it back into the car, I finally relaxed just a little. I half expected one or more of those creepy crawlies to come and try to snag me. I swore to myself that I would never go into another cave without a way out, another person, and a light source with me at all times. Cardin didn't believe me when I told him the story, but I know what I saw. I hoped to never see it again, to be honest.

* * *

My next trip was to a neat mountain, which just looked cool. It was imposing, yes, but that was because it was tall. And huge. I mean, compared to a literally little child, an adult would look like a mountain, but this? This made the house at the top of our hill look tiny. It was just grand, titanic. This takes the cake for the tallest thing I've ever seen. Daddy said we were coming here to finish my project sooner, as we had been to two already and this one was on the way to our next destination anyways, so I decided why not.

The Nexus was an Air Nexus, and boy did it show it. I could have sworn that it wanted to throw me off the mountain when I encountered it. But the creatures were amazing, I gotta admit. I saw an eagle, a mountain goat, a tiny horse, a flying squirrel at the bottom of the mountain, and a Great Hawk. The three land-dwelling animals gave me less than 1 XP apiece for seeing, but I did end up petting one of the tiny horses. The eagle and the Great Hawk, on the other hand, were creatures maintained by the Nexus on the mountain peak and thusly gave me 2.5 XP apiece for discovering. Seeing the Air Nexus also gave me 10 XP for seeing it, but I also ended up with an amazing view of the world from up there. I was more than a little amazed by the sight of massive hills and wide roads looking like little more than anthills and strings on a foggy day from up here, farms looking like brown squares with tiny gray dots that were tractors tilling the land. Clouds that once looked like tiny floating patches of cotton candy were now massive chilly gusts of mist dense enough to block visibility completely for hours at a time. We ended up staying there for an hour or so before heading out again. I was completely amazed by the sight alone, but experiencing it was another level of depth that made me shiver from both the cold and lingering glee.

On our way back down the mountain, we ended up seeing another mining village and grabbed a bite to eat there. The food wasn't all that great, but meeting new people was. My Social stat went up from 8 to 10 from talking to strangers and my experiences in those places. They seemed amazed by the stories, but they ended up asking Dad about them as if they didn't believe me. My guess is that people's trust in me also depends on my Social.

We hit the road again, and I now had gained a total of 32.35 XP so far on the trip. I had reached Level 4, with 9.55 XP left over. This stupid Parasite has stolen over 150 XP from me, more than enough to get me to Level 5 by now.

Our second to final destination - penultimate, if Saffron told me right - was a strange shack with a huge brick chimney out the side of it. From one side, the tallest side, spewed white puffs of steam as the occasional droplet of crystal clear liquid ran down the bricks and moistened the mortar, darkening it. On the other, much shorter, side of the chimney was a blackened box from which grey smoke rose. It appeared to me as though the box made the smoke grey, as I recognized the black substance on the outside to be soot and ash. How it did this was beyond me, but I was certain that I would learn of this at some point.

We entered the building, and all I could do was be confused. Unknown tools and strange black tables made the space too cramped, even for me. I was utterly confused, especially when I saw the tradesman. I had no idea who he was, but I could tell by the soot on his hands and the sweat on his brow that his trade involved heat and lots of it. He had a brown leather apron tied around his stiff belly, grits of metal in his beard, and soot-covered skin. Also, he happens to be an Elk Faunus, which is really cool to see.

Quartz gave him the glowing rock, which was strange because Quartz told me that it shouldn't be glowing once it leaves the cave we went to. In a hushed tone I asked Dad about this, and he confirmed that the rock was no longer glowing. Strange. The tradesman asked Quartz what he wanted with the raw rock, and Quartz replied with something along the lines of a 'banana sore' or something like that. I would probably figure out what it was later, but right now I was just lost. Not lost in terms of where I was, but lost as in I had no idea what was going on around me. The tradesman requested some money for the work, and Dad obliged. I still had no idea what was going on.

* * *

When we arrived home the same evening that we went to the tradesman's place, I immediately checked the Token Mirror. Dad needed to check out the steam car's engine again, this time because the Heat Coil stopped burning. He luckily had a spare coil, but when he pulled it out I saw it already glowing a bright orange. I asked him why it was glowing orange, and was immediately both curious and confused when he said that it wasn't. He came back inside the car when he had traded out the coils, carrying the broken coil in his hand. He let me see it before putting it in his coat pocket, and I was somewhat less confused and immensely more curious when I saw the coil glowing a less vibrant orange and barely a blue glow in a single spot along the spiraling metal. I was curious as to why only I could see the glow, and decided to check out why on my own.

I placed my hand on the mirror, and let the mirror do its thing. The first thing I noticed was that it was showing a strange tally mark above my head, one that was white and shining. It was invisible to other mirrors, so I could only assume that it meant something extraordinary. My cream cotton clothes had a green leaf on other mirrors and when I looked down, but here that leaf was nowhere to be seen. It was all too confusing to me until the Token Mirror showed me what it found.

Level 4. XP to Level 5: 9.55 of 95. Strength: 8 (Labor 9, Combat 3). Intelligence: 15 (Wisdom 8, Intelligence 8). Constitution: 15 (Immunity 18, Endurance 18, Tolerance 10). Agility: 12 (Flexibility 4, Speed 8). Social: 10. Resistance: 11 (Physical 11, Magical 11, Elemental 0.01). No class. Abilities: Element Seeker (can see primary Element in materials).

This is where I kind of got way too happy. My first Ability at Level 4, and I wasn't hurt by it. Actually, a bunch of people would call that really lucky, given my family is a bunch of Mages. Since this allowed me to see Elements, I would be able to see what could hurt me if Iet it get too close and what wouldn't. Needless to say, I got a little rambunctious and overly excited at this new knowledge. And by the next day, _everyone_ knew about it. Especially Cardin, because he got an Ability that allows him to see Abilities. Needless to say, I got both jealous and excited.

Now if only I could get a Skill, that would be great. Oh yeah, I do and it's called Fishing. I also wonder if I'm going to get a new stat soon. Tomorrow self to yesterday self, yes I do and it's called Elemental Resistance.

**END**

* * *

**Notice: I actually wanted to write more but decided that the next part of the story goes by a bit too fast. Next chapter, Jaune may end up with yet another Level. As a side note, I tried making Nexus points really powerful forces of nature that just so much as seeing would give someone a huge boost of XP. Of course, a normal child won't be able to comprehend this sort of sheer power, no matter their 'Level' or Intelligence, so I made sure to include a tidbit about that. I can go further in depth later on, but next chapter is gonna be a bit more expositional. More specifically, I'll have something on Skills in that chapter. But for now, I need to call it a break for today. Don't want to overload anyone with an exposition dump that gets boring, do I?**

**This is General Texas, signing out.**


	4. Chapter 4

**7 whole Reviews. Been awhile since I've had a story with this many. Also, one of the Reviewers mentioned Sturgeon's Law, which is me in a nutshell. Actually, I would wager I'm worse than just '90 percent crap'. A ten second banter with my brother is more than enough to prove that. First thing we do when we walk in the door is literally just scream like banshees at each other. I'm not 90 percent, I'm well beyond 9000. Just Saiyan, Goku.**

**On that note of happiness, I'd like to mention that if you readers think I can improve in any way, feel free to tell me your thoughts in either a Review or a PM. I know for a fact that I'm a bad storyteller, and it shows to me. So if you find anything that just nags at you, let me know. Make it more specific if you can, that's how my brain works.**

**Still, glad to see the story so popular. Better get the other stuff out of the way so I can get back to the story. Don't want to disappoint those who like it, do I?**

_**Don't own RWBY. Not part of RoosterTeeth. Don't plan to, no offense to them. Didn't write 'The Gamer', although a certain Reviewer was kind enough to let me know where it all started. Fact of the day: for those who don't know, 'The Gamer' is the title of both a webcomic and a movie, the latter of which my brother owns a copy of. Thanks for the info, someUntel.**_

* * *

**Jaune Arc**

**Level 4, no class**

**XP to Level 5: 9.55 of 95**

**Passive XP: 0.03 per day**

**Strength: 8 (Labor 9, Combat 3)**

**Intelligence: 15 (Wisdom 8, Intelligence 8)**

**Constitution: 15 (Immunity 18, Endurance 18, Tolerance 10)**

**Agility: 12 (Flexibility 4, Speed 8)**

**Social: 10**

**Resistance: 11 (Physical 11, Magical 11, Elemental 0.01)**

**Abilities**

**Elemental Seeker: may see base Elements in materials**

**Skills: Fishing**

**Equipment: Cotton Clothes (Comfy modifier)**

**Buffs**

**Diminishing Returns: Speed, Endurance, Labor, and Physical have stopped rising**

**Amazing Experience: Social and Tolerance efficiency increased. Wisdom and Intelligence efficiency decreased.**

**Distracted: Wisdom and Intelligence efficiency decreased. Tied to debuff: Amazing Experience.**

**Disturbed: saw something creepy recently. New Phobia developed: Mega-arachnophobia.**

**Comfy**

**Weakness, Second Opinion, XP Drain (50% active, 60% passive), Symbiotic Binds**

* * *

The next month, after gaining 2 XP in school and 0.45 XP passively, it was time to visit my fourth Nexus. This time, I could see exactly where and what it was because of my Ability. It was a Life Nexus right next to the tradesman's shop, which we went to so that Quartz could pick up what I learned was a sword, or a 'hurt stick' as I liked calling it. This was a particular type of sword known as a Binding Sword, and was the base-most kind of Magic sword. Quartz had to at least know what they were and have one in his possession in order to become an apprentice under an experienced Forge Mage. I learned about some of the tools in the blacksmith's shop, such as the hammer and the anvil. It was still so confusing, but I was learning at least a little.

It was when we went outside and got close to the forest nearby, where Dad turned off the car, that I saw a hint of green Elemental light deeper in the woods. A light that no one could see except me, one which tied all of the trees together. Dad told Quartz to put the sword in the car and lock the trunk, then proceeded to come with me towards the source of the light. We passed towering trees filled with many kinds of small critters. From squirrels to bunnies, foxes to wolves, boars to bears, I saw them all. Each and every single one of them was bound to and cared for by this Nexus, even if some of them preyed upon each other. Dad gained no XP, Quartz gained a bit here and there, but I was the one who mostly benefited. White-tailed deer and proud elk, red-tailed squirrel and yellow bunny, spotted boar and brown bear, grey wolf and red fox, blue bird and tan hawk, the sheer amount of diversity in these woods was amazing. However, what caught my attention the most were the Elemental Creatures present. There were Wooded Nymphs, leshen, walking trees, and even a couple of fairies here. They all seemed to sparkle slightly, and it amazed me to no end.

A young Wooded Nymph seemed to step out of the trees at some point, surprising us all. Her big eyes were blue with white in the middle and green outside, her skin looked like tree bark, her clothes were made of leaves, and her hair looked like long thin blades of grass. Dad was almost immediately wary, but Quartz and I held no such fears. She, after all, was just as scared of us as he was of her. Quartz calmed his nerves slightly, and he lowered his guard slightly. I came closer to the tree girl with as gentle a smile as I could muster for being an excited child a week from his birthday. The Wooded Nymph calmed down and smiled just as sweetly as Mom would.

She ended up leading us - well, mostly me even though Dad and Quartz were following close behind - through the forest, giving me a flower that seemed to shine with an endless luster as we walked. She was actually capable of speech, telling me about the nature of this Life Nexus and how it connected all living things near it, be it a monster or a creature. Turns out, these kinds of Nexus were incredibly rare and were, as such, precious to the world. If one were to die or otherwise fade, the world would create one far from the creatures that caused it, monster or man, and all of the creatures formerly bound to it would migrate to this new Nexus, or Hallowed Wood as she called it.

As we walked deeper into the small, beautiful forest, we saw towering trees move out of our way so we could walk through it unobstructed, mighty predators come to us as though they were gentle, curious youth, and more Wooded Nymphs sprout from trees. Wary looks were passed to my father, the reasons for which I never understood until she explained that creatures of Hallowed Woods were always afraid of those who possessed a certain kind of fire. A type of fire that is all too common among humans and society: the destructive kind, the one that razes forests to ash, makes rocks liquid, burns trees and rocks for fuel, and does no good other than keeping explorers warm. This very fire is the Element through which Dad casts Spells and uses Abilities, as opposed to the Light I assumed that he used when I first learned about Elements.

"So you're scared that Dad will hurt you," I asked her as we walked. My young voice was small compared to the call of a hawk, let alone the rest of the forest. Still, the Nymph heard my voice despite this forest symphony. She shook her head, pointing ahead towards the Life Nexus.

"Dear Sprout, I am a Guardian of this Hallowed Wood," she explained with a beautiful voice that sounded sweeter than that of my mother. "I do not fear for my own well being. Rather, I fear for the safety of what created me, the Hallowed Root which birthed this home. That tree where I am taking you, it does not simply sustain and protect all things living around it; the Hallowed Root, my mother, _heals_ that which is alive in its presence. Without this source, no life around it can truly thrive as you see it now."

I almost immediately understood. The creatures closer to it were well-fed and taken care of here, much calmer towards the center. Furthermore, there seemed to be more Guardians here than where I first met this Nymph. I also felt a tender hand holding me, almost as if being near it was making me stronger. I started hearing gentle whispers of encouragement, calming words and soft hymns playing all around me. But none if these were physical, but rather affecting me on a deeper level.

"You feel it too," the Nymph noticed. "You hear her song, feel her heart. We draw closer to the source of our home, but you already feel this." I nodded. She stopped walking and held her hand up to Dad. He came to an abrupt halt. "I am sorry, but I cannot allow you to pass further than the entrance to this clearing. You or your eldest son. You have been touched by a raging fire, and allowing you to proceed would pose a risk to our Hallowed Wood. As for your son, he is too wary of us, of our Root; allowing him passage may only bring him harm, as would his fears endanger the forest."

"What about Jaune," Dad asked. I was actually tempted to ask the same thing, to be honest. While not as concerned as Quartz, I was most certainly confused and curious. As would any nearly-seven-year-old boy in my position. Well, close to my position, taking the Parasite into account. The Nymph smiled tenderly at Dad.

"Precious father, no harm shall come to your youngest child," the Nymph promised. "The roots have felt his condition and wish to help him. While we cannot remove the Parasite, we will help him in his fight against it. If you would have us do so, that is." Dad now seemed more conflicted. He was obviously concerned about me, but he also wanted to help me in any way possible. The Parasite was obviously against it.

_Don't accept it, human_, it pleaded, neglecting the fact that I was the only one who could hear it. _You and I both know that there is no fighting against a Parasite of my caliber, only delaying the inevitable. Do not give in, human. Don't you dare accept it. I will tear you apart in your next life if you do_.

Dad seemed to think about it for a moment or two before making a very Dad-like request. "Promise me that no harm will come to him." The Nymph smiled and nodded.

"There was never any intention to harm him," she answered. He sighed with relief and nodded.

"Then I consent," he answered. "Just be sure to return him safely to me when you finish." She nodded.

"Come with me, Child," she said, offering a guiding hand. I felt I had to accept it, as if the Nexus - the whole Hallowed Wood - was right there. She led me into the clearing, where a pair of leshen moved to prevent Dad and Quartz from entering for both their sakes and for the sake of what was within the clearing.

And speaking of which, upon entering the clearing I already felt the motherly presence of the Hallowed Root cradling mine, holding me like Mom would when I was younger except without the physical aspect and me being Level 4. The Nymph guiding me led me right up to the grand blue tree with white leaves in the center. The whole thing looked like several large trees twisting around one another, with massive roots burying themselves deep into the golden soil beneath. There were some fruits dangling from the tree, some from all varieties of trees and vines from around the world. From clusters of grapes and bananas to apples and pears, this tree seemed to have it all. I could see the massive green crystal within it implying a massive living Nexus of Life. If this kind of tree even existed outside of a Nexus, it was so rare that few could even find one. I was amazed by it, just as much by the creatures nearby that shouldn't even exist. A blue elk with silver antlers, a golden doe with green eyes, a wolf as tall as Dad with bright blue eyes, and a fox with three tails all surrounded the base of the tree, staring at me as though expecting me as soon as I set foot in the forest. Each one gave me massive boosts of XP, 10 apiece. I could tell that the Parasite was sucking its share up, so this was a huge thing. Actually, this whole thing was just huge in and of itself.

_Come to me_, I heard the Nexus say as I approached. I couldn't help but oblige, and did as it told me to. _Climb on my roots, Sapling, and sit down._ I did as it told me. The Nymph stayed back, respecting the mighty presence. _Now, about that Parasite, I may have a remedy._

A branch rolled down to me as if it were a human hand. On it was a single flower with ten petals, five on one row and five on the other. I didn't know what kind of flower it was, but I did know that it smelled sweet. I didn't feel much different, but in the back of my mind the Parasite was reeling and writhing in anger. It was howling up a storm, snarling about how it should have drained my Levels sooner. It made no sense to me at the moment, but the Parasite could take my XP no longer.

_There_, said the mighty tree. _Now it cannot do you any more harm than it already does. You are also safe from its corruption; its Darkness will never find a place to root itself inside of you. Now, if you would like, you may leave, Sapling._

I actually liked it here, to be totally honest. I never realized that Nexus could be sentient or anything like this. It was outright incredible to me, how this could be possible. And the fact that it called me Sapling just tickled me. Just being near a Nexus was an amazing feeling, but being right next to it? To a child like me, this was basically heaven.

But I knew it couldn't last forever, so I eventually got up and hopped down from the roots of the mighty tree. The Nymph led me back to Dad and Quartz from the base of the tree. She had a happy expression on her face, seeing me so content with life.

By the time we reached the edge of the glowing green forest, the Nymph stopped leading us and simply pointed us in the right direction. We left the forest, entered the car, and drove back to our house. However, the whole way back I could still feel where the Hallowed Wood was. Where the Nymph was.

* * *

8.1 XP from seeing all the animals in that forest. 40 from those amazing creatures. 10 from seeing the Nexus, plus 5 for interacting with it. 10 from seeing the Guardians, plus 1 for interacting with one. 74.1 XP in one trip, as well as a new buff. Plus 2.45 from over the month and the 9.55 I have left over from reaching Level 4, and I now have 86.1 XP of 95 towards Level 5. I once thought it was weird that I was already close to Level 5, but Quartz assured me that I was nowhere close to ahead of the curve. Seeing Cardin at Level 5 with two new Skills really put a dent in that one, but Dad was still willing to teach me the basics when we got home.

I sat myself in a chair, and we began our 'talk'. Unlike the one Quartz was due, this one _was_ child-friendly. Dad sat across from me, hands folded and in front of his chin, eyes darting from point to point as if thinking of a way to start the discussion.

"Where do I begin," he asked himself. His focus landed on me for a moment. "I want you to get the most out of this, so gimme a second to think here."

"Okay," I said. I waited patiently for Dad to speak, ignoring the sounds of Quartz practicing his swordplay. I also managed to somehow ignore the calamity that was Diamond tumbling down the stairs from the second story, though I actually heard two voices shouting and two things falling. It took me a moment to remember that Saffron's girlfriend had come over for a weekend, and just as long to realize that it wasn't Diamond who fell. I could faintly hear Diamond shouting upstairs that she was sorry, and I could automatically assume that she simply bumped into someone and pushed them down the stairs. Man, she is so clumsy.

"Okay, I think I have a starting point," Dad spoke, and I instinctually tuned in. "You remember Mommy teaching you about Skills, right? All the ways you can get one?" I nodded. "Good, because I'm going to expand your knowledge. Are you ready?"

"Yeah," I exclaimed. He chuckled softly.

"Good, good," said the older man. "Alright, you have experienced what it's like to learn a Skill by doing it, so I won't explain that part. The other way to learn new Skills is to get a new Level, which your mother taught you. She also taught you that you can only start learning Skills this way at Level 5; however, since you are almost there already, I want to go further into detail so that you won't be as scared when it happens."

I almost immediately started getting scared. Was this process really that scary? Was it gonna be like seeing those spiders in the mountain cave? Was it gonna hurt? Was I gonna die?

"Let me elaborate before you start shaking out of your skivvies," Dad explained. My fears left for the time being, even though they were still there. "Now, when you reach Level 5, a couple of things will happen first, although there is a chance that they won't happen. The first thing you might feel is strong, like you're standing on top of the world. Stay on guard, since this next part might surprise you if you don't."

Like I'm on top of the world? That actually sounds like fun. I wanna be on top of the world. No. No, Jaune. Pay attention… the world.

"Then, after a moment of being so high, you will start to feel really weak," Dad continued. On second thought, maybe I don't want to be on top of the world. "You might feel so weak you can't even stand, or move your arms. You might even feel numb, like your body went to sleep without you." I don't want to be on top of the world anymore. "This is where it can get scary, as you might feel trapped inside of your own body. Kind of like when you wake up but your body won't move." I've experienced that before. Now I really don't want to be on top of the world. I just don't, not at all.

"The next part is where things get difficult to explain," he said. "You will feel like you went to sleep, but you will wake up very quickly. You might see something different from someone else. Cardin says he was in a tree with a bunch of leaves, but Quartz saw a number of animals. For me, it was a bunch of stars. You could see something different, like a spider web." I shivered violently, hugging my shoulders. I couldn't help but remember the big spider from the cave. "Okay, bad example. Maybe… maybe you'll see a bunch of flowers. Either way, you will be able to move around wherever you end up. You can move around and see these Skills and what they will let you do, as well as any Skills you already know. The Skills you know will look different from the Skills you can learn, but you will be able to see them.

"You can spend as much time or as little time as you want in there, but you have to choose new Skills to learn before you can leave that place. And when you do, you might feel like you went to sleep, but it won't last long. When you wake up, you'll end up right back where you were in the real world. Maybe a few seconds will pass between when you first go to sleep and when you last wake up, but no longer than a minute."

I couldn't help but feel relieved. Still, anything could happen in a minute. What if I got hurt while I was asleep? Would I be stuck in the strange world forever? I had so many reasons to be scared right now, and not a single one of them was because of spiders… okay, maybe a few had something to do with spiders, but that's not the point.

"Now, when you wake up you will feel funny, like you know something but you don't," Dad continued. "The only way to get rid of this feeling is to practice what you learned, whatever it might be. When you do, you will have truly learned your first Skills by reaching Level 5. Does this all make sense to you?"

I nodded quietly, relaxing about the spiders finally. I don't know that my first experience will even have anything to do with those creepy crawlies at all. I'll be fine. I'll be fine. I'll be fine. I'll … I wanna cry. I won't make it, I'm scared.

* * *

My next experience with a Nexus, and my last one required by my teacher, was near a dormant volcano - another Fire Earth Nexus point - about a week after Dad told me about Skills. This time, we had brought along Cardin so that he could finish his project as well. Mom had taken him to see a mountain, a cliff face, and an open plains earlier, and now she and Dad had brought us both to see one last Nexus. Since this was the middle of Spring Break, we had no worries about missing school. And I had less of a worry about reaching Level 5 in a dangerous place.

As we neared the sleeping giant, a pair of boulders melted and rose, taking on human forms. It reminded me of the Wooded Nymph from the Hallowed Wood, only a hundred times scarier and a big man like Dad rather than a little girl. Cardin was a little scared, but he was much more amazed by the sight than I was.

I couldn't help but recall what the Nymph told me about this kind of fire. I was starting to get worried. I knew I wouldn't Level Up here, but 2.5 XP was still really pushing my luck here. 88.81 of 95, less than 10 to go. I hope that the Nexus is a nice one like the Hallowed Root was.

"Magma, Blast," Dad exclaimed. He walked over to the Lava Golems like they were old friends. "Been too long, buddies. How's Volcan, is he awake?"

"He is," one of the golems responded. A bird made of charred wood flew over and landed on the shoulder of the molten obsidian man. Another 2.5 XP. 91.31 of 95. Please no more. Please. No more. I'm scared enough already.

"You brought children here," the other golem noticed. "Didn't you say it was too dangerous for their age?"

"Times have changed, fellas," Dad answered. "Teachers decided now was a good time, not later." One of the golems grunted angrily at this, clearly unenthused by this.

"So what do they want the brats to do, huh," the bird squawked. I nearly jumped at this. Wooden birds were one thing, burning wooden birds were another, but _talking_ _and burning_ wooden birds? Well, at least I know it's possible. "Same as Berry?" Dad shook his head.

"Nah, gotta see _two_ Guardians this time," he explained. "And the big boss, the Nexus as they call it." The bird chirped. The lava monsters stepped aside and opened the path to the peak of the cold volcano. Dad led us to the peak. I prayed for no more Guardians. I got my wish, alright. Right there was the Nexus, asleep but still very much present. 10 XP right there. Level Up, right there. I was now Level 5, with 6.31 XP left over. I waited nervously for the feelings Dad described last week. They didn't come while I expected them.

Just as I let my guard down, I felt it. The peaks of what he described, followed closely by the sudden drop. Mine was bad, worse than what he told me would happen. Everything around me went dark, from vision going dark to voices getting deep and muffled. I felt heavier than asleep, about twice as heavy. I was actually praying for the sleep part by the time it actually came.

It came as Dad said it would, but it felt less like a nap and more like a blink. All around me was a bunch of bubbles in a navy void. In front of me was what I could only assume was the Parasite, in the form of something recognizable: a human, albeit black with white eyes and bulging muscles. It was lying belly-down on the ground with a pout on its face. Sitting on top of the being was none other than the Nymph, who had barred it from interfering with a bunch of roots and branches on top of its back and arms.

Of all the bubbles, three seemed to show different colors. Two were green, with a leaf decorating its surface. The other was blue, with a fish hook on it. I could tell which one was Fishing. I got curious about the green ones, and passed by them. The Nymph simply sat by, smiling at me with curious eyes.

_Hello, Sapling_, the Nymph said. _I see you have grown since last we saw each other._

_Get off of me, Bark-Flesh_, the Parasite snarled venomously. _If I could, I would break every single branch on your worthless body and vi- ._ It never finished its sentence, as a branch slammed into its mouth and shut it up.

_Take your time, young one_, the Nymph encouraged me. I did so, and went searching through the Skills available to me. Heavy Lifter sounded good to me, as Cardin had it, but I moved on before I took it. I wanted to see all of my options before I chose. These would stay with me forever, and I didn't want to make a bad decision that I didn't like or couldn't use. Or that the Parasite could take advantage of.

I ended up with a green one and one with a diamond on it. Nature's Eye was the green one, and it would allow me to see the species, Levels, and major stats of any wild creature or Guardian; I had to develop a somewhat close relationship with a Guardian or at least have spoken to an Elemental Nexus before, which I have. The diamond one was Dust Acquisition, which would let me take some of the Element charge inside of Dust and use it for whatever I wanted. It required a Magical Resistance of 9 and access to the Elemental Resistance bar for me to know and use, both of which I had. The Nymph smiled at me sweetly, and her eyes sparkled with joy. Not happiness, joy.

_A wise choice, young Sapling_, she praised. _May your roots grow deep._

I blinked, and I was back to the land of the living. No spiders, only concerned Lava Golems and Charred Hawks, a worried pair of parents, and a scared Cardin. Well, the Nature's Eye thing works as explained. I was helped up by Mom and Dad, as the Guardians were too afraid of burning me. As soon as I was back up on my feet, I looked around in an attempt to get my bearings back. I figured out pretty quickly that the Golems were pretty high-level, both being over Level 80 with Strength and Element stats above 50 apiece. While awe-inspiring, it was simultaneously terrifying for someone who is currently affected by a Parasite of a higher caliber. The Hawks were Level 50 with Strengths of 15, Elements of 45, and Speeds of 80. If I wasn't mistaken, this meant that these creatures could fly at 40 miles an hour. Either that or their stats are twice as effective and they could actually fly at 80 because they're Guardians. Please note that Guardians actually have Elements, and the Element shows how much of their particular Element they were made with and have inside of them.

It was then that I felt it. A deep rumbling in the earth beneath me, rising in power and coming closer. My Ability allowed me to see that the Nexus was burning brighter and hotter, melting the rocks in the old obsidian mountain. I backed away from the pure Element as it grew so much more powerful. The volcano was waking up, and I was right there to see it.

Suddenly, a blast of pure Fire Element rose from the volcano, a pillar of heat and flame exploding from deep within the volcano as the Nexus reached its peak intensity. I was glad I backed up when I did, else I would have ended up looking like those blackened trees dotting the base of the mountain. Cardin was already this far back, standing with Mom despite wanting to be closer. Dad, on the other hand, was right there mere inches from the blazing column. He seemed untouched by the flames, which was starting to make sense now that I could see the Fire Element inside of him.

The flare ended almost as soon as it began, revealing something I thought impossible: a man made almost entirely of Fire, the source of the Nexus deep within its chest, was floating above the now magmatic caldera. Ooh, big words. Its eyes were a roaring red, its body swirling with a golden orange energy. The name of it was invisible, as was its Level and Element, so I knew it wasn't a Guardian. This had to be the manifestation of the Nexus, a form which humans could see and interact with. It was the only thing I could think of.

"Volcan, been too long," Dad called up to the volcanic being. "How's life treating you? Or fire, I guess, but same intention."

"Argentum," the flaming entity replied. Its voice shook the very earth beneath me, and I felt the echo in my chest. "You have not changed at all, old friend. And you have brought visitors as well, I see."

"Oh, right," Dad realized something. He gestured to Cardin and I. "Lord Volcan, may I present to you my youngest sons, Jaune Arc and Cardin Winchester. Jaune, Cardin, this is the mighty Lord Volcan, Master of Fire, King of this volcano, and the lifeblood of this Nexus."

"Pleased to meet you," Cardin called up to Volcan. I, on the other hand, opted to huddle closer to Mom and behind her. I remember what the Nymph told me, and I don't entertain the idea of getting burned or losing the protection from the Hallowed Root.

"One seems shy," Volcan noticed, referring to me. "I see why: he has been touched by a Life Nexus. They call themselves Hallowed Roots, if I recall."

"He also has a Parasite in him," Dad mentioned. "The Life Nexus gave him a protection or something like that. I think he's scared you'll burn it away." The flaming man reached up to scratch its neck.

"I see," said Vulcan. He materialized two massive Tomes out of charred embers and volcanic ash. "I can do nothing for that, and will refrain from interfering with such a boon. However, as was the case with you and your youngest daughter, I dislike the idea of such young children leaving without souvenirs." The titanic Tomes floated down to Cardin and I. "Consider them gifts from a grand mountain king. May you never forget them, young ones."

Cardin plucked his huge book out of the air, whereas mine gently fell into my open hands. The author obviously gave itself a long-winded title in and of itself, given the equally big personality of the Nexus manifest, but the title was pretty simple: 'Grand Inferno' for Cardin, teeming with Elemental power and Magic; humming with words of wisdom and a more peaceful flame, mine was titled 'Firebird'. Cardin wanted desperately to open his, but the index was locked with an obsidian book lock. Mine was also locked, which I considered to be for the better. It still gave me a decent bit of XP from receiving, although how much and why was up in the air to me.

"Argentum, I know there is something else you came to speak about," Volcan stated. The being floated down to the rim of the volcano, levitating just a few feet from the edge. "What did you come here to discuss?"

"Volcan, you know me," Dad said in a playful tone. "Can't your loyal Inquisitor simply hang out for a while?" He made a motion to Mom, and she guided us back to the car. I was still kind of confused about what just happened. First I pass out and get two incredible Skills, then a volcano that was once dormant wakes up and becomes a human-shaped ball of fire, then said ball of fire forms two massive books and gives them to two little kids as 'souvenirs'. This was the strangest encounter I have ever had with anything, and that's saying something. Well, at least I got some XP from the experience. I couldn't wait to get home and see what the Token Mirror said.

"So, Jaune," Mom started. "What Skills did you choose?" Cardin too seemed eager to know.

"Nature's Eye and Dust Acquisition," I said, struggling a bit with the bigger words. Cardin had a confused look on his face. Mom, on the other hand, had a surprised expression.

"I never saw those," Cardin hummed. "Then again, I'm halfway to Level 6 now. Maybe I'll check it out."

"You need a Magic Resistance of 9 to get it," I mentioned. "You also have to have an Elemental Resistance of some kind too." He snapped unhappily. "And that's just Dust Acquisition."

"Nah, it's fine," Cardin hummed. "I don't need Dust Inquisition anyways." That is _not_ how it is pronounced. Then again, I don't think I'm pronouncing it right either.

"Well, Daddy forgot his Fire Dust again," Mom mentioned, pulling out a Dust Crystal. My eyes lit up like a Festa parade at the sight. As little of the Element as there was within, it was certainly present. "I'm sure he wants to refill it anyways." The Crystal found its way into my hands by _some_ random coincidence.

The first thing I did was examine the mighty gem. The edges were well cut, smooth like a mirror and slick as steel. The material was clear and reflective like water, and shone with the colors of the Element it held within, mainly variations of orange. I could see the Element itself swirling around the Crystal angrily, like a tiny whirlwind of fire trapped inside of a gem-shaped box of glass. I knew deep within how to draw on the Element, to pull it out of the jewel, but part of me was scared. What would happen to me if all went to plan? What if something went wrong?

Well, I did get that Skill, better not to waste it because I'm scared. I closed my hands around the larger gem and focused. I imagined myself as another container, a bigger vessel for the Element, and the Dust as a cage in which the Element was trapped, just like the Skill taught me to do. I could feel the Element reacting to this in a way, and the flames exited the Dust and entered my body. The warmth of the Fire poured into my heart like water pours from pumps into glasses. The Skill solidified itself into my memory, and I felt another smaller rush of XP as my stats rose. I could take a wild guess and probably nail it, but that's just asking for trouble.

Once the Dust was completely empty, I gave it back to Mom, who went out of the car to give it to Dad. I felt no changes in my buffs, meaning that the Hallowed Root was still suppressing the Parasite. I also felt a minor raise in my Passive XP gain, albeit minimal at best. The biggest thing was in my stats, which I felt had risen by a decent margin but I couldn't tell just how much of a gain I made. The best thing to do now was just to wait until I could check.

* * *

Level 5. XP to Level 6: 22.81 of 120. Passive XP: 0.04 per day. Strength: 8 (Labor 9, Combat 3). Intelligence: 18 (Wisdom 9, Intelligence 10). Constitution: 16 (Immunity 18, Endurance 19, Tolerance 13). Agility: 12 (Flexibility 4, Speed 8). Social: 15. Resistance: 11 (Physical 11, Magical 11, Elemental 1). No class. Abilities: Element Seeker (can see base Elements in materials). Special: Element 1 (Fire).

Wait, I already have that much XP?... Oh yeah, I did have some extra. I had those stat increases. Don't they give 0.5 XP for each sub-stat? I guess that makes sense, given that the Parasite does its thing. And then there was that Firebird Tome, that was a thing. Apparently 5 XP for getting it, 5 for talking to the author directly. Strange guy, that one.

Anyways, Dad told me that the Skills I chose were very wise. He told me that his first Skill he ever chose was Dust Acquisition, same as me. The only difference is that he got the Burning Knowledge Skill - which came from receiving a Tome from a Fire Nexus - with it. Mom told me something similar, that she got the Nature's Eye Skill and some other one I don't remember seeing. Maybe she had something that I didn't?

Cardin on the other hand took Heavy Lifter and Squire, neither of which I truly understood. Heavy Lifter allowed him to pick up heavier things by lifting them in a particular way that made him seem sturdier; while his Labor rose little, his ability to lift heavy things went way up. Squire, on the other hand, gave him Basic knowledge of basic combat and increased his Combat efficiency. His Strength was rather impressive as such. I would have to join his Combat class soon, lest I fall behind.

**END**

* * *

**A/N: It's a wrap! Man, I swear that was harder to write than it looked. I first wrote that whole Hallowed Wood scene for last chapter but decided that it was too much of a rush and moved it to this chapter. The Skills explanation bit was right off the top of my head, and then I changed some bits as I went along the Volcan part. The Fire Tomes weren't initially there, and Volcan had a bit more of a holier-than-thou attitude at first thought. As my mind made it evolve, it gradually fit pieces together. As for the extra XP part, I had legitimately forgotten about the stats gain from the forest. I **_**could**_ **excuse it by saying Jaune hadn't checked a Token Mirror yet, but that would be a sorry and pitiful excuse and as such will simply tell the truth and accept that I suck. **

**Anyways, I am now finished with this chapter. Next chapter will be a bit of a timeskip, if I feel ballsy enough. Prepare for some changes in our little blonde knight, as soon he may be less gold and more silver….**

**I **_**have**_ **watched too much FFXV Royal Edition on YT, haven't I? I mean, who wouldn't like the game? Noctis is just a monster in combat compared to a normal Huntsman (save for the Silver Eyes, but that's not really here), he's a sweet guy when you get to know him, he's a **_**prince**_**, and *spoilers*… oh. Oh. Oh, that might be a little overkill. Maybe just some influence is all I'll use. Yeah, that's a plan and a half! Eh… ffff*profanity overload*, Tex! Jaune is battered enough, then Noct got it just as bad **_**if not worse**_**, and now ya wanna merge the two?! F*profanity*, man.**

**Worry not, those who have seen both the end of RWBY Volume 3 and FFXV. Much like Otto von Bismarck, I have a plan - I **_**always**_ **have a plan - and it will not involve either of those sob stories. I still want to strangle the little psycho in my head, but I no longer wanna stuff Godzilla in my ears and let him go to town in that hellhole I call a brain.**

**Before I give more spoilers than necessary, let me sign off and get to the next chapter already. This is General Texas, signing out.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Well, now I have 8 full Reviews, and one has brought up an excellent point: I brought up both steampunk and Elementals, but I never actually used them. I honestly wasn't focused on that, which is kind of upsetting. I guess I was so focused on the plot that I forgot about the plot. That's me for ya.**

**Warning: implicit character death. Do not take this warning lightly. If you proceed, do so with this warning in mind. Reader discretion is highly advised.**

* * *

_**Still don't own RWBY. Still ain't a part of RT. Still don't wanna be. Still want my PC back. Still gotta get through college. Still a lazy autistic potato of a man. Still brutally honest but strangely amusing as ever. Probably still left the 'New reviews section' and 'Extra comments' above the disclaimer. Sh*t.**_

* * *

**Jaune Arc (7 years old)**

**Level 5, no class**

**Passive XP: 0.04 per day**

**XP to Level 6: 22.81 of 120**

**Strength: 8 (Labor 9, Combat 3)**

**Intelligence: 18 (Wisdom 9, Intelligence 10)**

**Constitution: 16 (Immunity 18, Endurance 19, Tolerance 13)**

**Agility: 12 (Flexibility 4, Speed 8)**

**Social: 15**

**Resistance: 11 (Physical 11, Magical 11, Elemental 1)**

**Equipment: Cotton Clothes (Comfy modifier)**

**Abilities: Element Seeker**

**Skills**

**Nature's Eye: see Species, Level, and Major Stats of wildlife and Guardians**

**Dust Acquisition: absorb Element within Dust up to Elemental Resistance stat, builds on Resistance with use**

**Fishing II - Jaune has been taught how to use a rod, line, hook, and bait to catch fish. Also possesses knowledge of how to clean and cook fish**

**Buffs**

**Comfy**

**Weakness, Second Opinion, XP Drain (Active 50%, Passive 60%, locked), Symbiotic Binds**

**Amazing Experience, Distracted, Disturbed**

**Nature's Grace: locks Parasitic debuffs, Abilities, and Skills where they were when buff was activated. Parasite can do no worse than it already is**

**Special: Element 1 (Fire)**

The instructor read Jaune's file, rubbing his stubble as he did. A Parasite, eh? Must be a special kid if he's keeping up with everyone else. And he spoke with a Nexus, it seems. Two, if his father is to be believed. Not that the middle-aged instructor doesn't believe the man, he does. Why wouldn't he believe his friend? However, with the way the kid is, letting him in as-is would make it seem like he was playing favorites.

_There are always slower kids_, he thought. _Still, I normally take the quick learners rather than just average. What could he offer that no one else can?_

This is the conundrum that the instructor faced as he contemplated letting Jaune enter. Finally, he accepted on one condition:

"I won't coddle you like the other students," the elder man informed the young boy. "You will attend two sessions rather than just one to ensure that you are keeping up. If you cannot, you are out of this class and you will have to find another instructor if you still wish to learn. Do you understand?" The little boy nodded firmly. He's got his father's adamance, that was for certain.

* * *

_6 years later…_

**Jaune Arc (13 years old)**

**Level 18, no class**

**XP to Level 19: 101 of 645**

**Passive XP: 0.105 per day**

**Base Armor: 22 (Strength/8 plus Resistance/4)**

**Strength: 64 (Labor 18, Combat 25, Force 15, Control 17)**

**Intelligence: 67 (Wisdom 38, Intelligence 26, Technical 13, Strategy 16)**

**Constitution: 64 (Immunity 84, Endurance 57, Tolerance 61, Maga 55)**

**Agility: 53 (Balance 15, Flexibility 18, Speed 20)**

**Social: 72 (Emotion 64, Compassion 66)**

**Resistance: 57 (Physical 57, Magical 56, Elemental 55)**

**Equipment**

**Undershirt (Comfortable modifier)**

**Keratin-Leather Vest: Armor 16, Weight 1, Movement 0.15**

**Denim Jeans: Armor 8, Weight 0.5, Movement 0.15**

**Keratin-Leather Boots: Armor 8, Weight 0.5, Movement 0.05**

**Leather-padded Denim Jacket: Armor 12, Weight 0.5, Movement 0.25**

**Armor Rating: 33 (Average Equipment Armor plus Base Armor)**

**Healing Sword: Piercing 6, Weight 2, Sturdiness 10. Effects: increases wielder healing factor passively**

**Abilities:**

**Element Seeker**

**Burning Wrath: use Elements and/or Maga within to enhance combat abilities for a short time. Time is determined by Element/Maga and Emotion, currently 1 minute 4 seconds limit**

**Skills:**

**Nature's Eye**

**Dust Acquisition**

**Fishing II**

**Survival I: Basic concepts of survival in the wild without aid**

**Weapon Basics III: understand Basics of most melee weapons and some firearms/ranged weapons**

**Unarmed Combat IV: Moderate knowledge of two or more martial arts without weapons**

**Elemental Knowledge V: Advanced knowledge of at least two types of Elemental Nexus and their Guardians and environments**

**Fireball II: cast a Medium Fireball or 3 Small Fireballs in a chosen direction**

**Flame Pulse: create a shockwave of Fire Element around wielder**

**Healer I: can actively heal minor wounds or afflictions, negligible chance to remove debuff**

**Seeker (Self-Taught): unguided attacks may now chase a specific target**

**Rapid Fire: Magic and Elemental attacks recharge faster**

**Buffs:**

**Weakness, Second Opinion, XP Drain (50% active, 60% passive), Symbiotic Binds**

**Nature's Grace**

**Comfortable: something is between Jaune's skin and his armor. He won't get irritated by it while moving**

**Impatient: Tolerance and Social efficiency decreased**

**Puberty: stats and personality seem blurry for a moment while the body develops**

**Special: Element 35 (Fire), 20 (Life)**

* * *

I was displeased with myself. _Highly _displeased. I just missed Saffron's graduation from the Vale Technical University in Aurum, where she had received a doctorate in Elemental Science. Her now-fiance Terra Cotta was all-too excited about it. All because I couldn't miss a single simple session of combat training. Well, to be fair I _did_ have school when the ceremony took place, and had my own homework for the last few days of 7th Grade. They had _just_ added this new Grade due to some new developments in education, meaning I had gotten stuck in Primary for yet another year. After this, I can choose a specific education in whatever market I so desire. Now if only I can get a grasp on my Class.

I was working on the family Steam Turbine, which was a recent development and had revolutionized the economy of Aurum. Each home either had its own Turbine like ours or was near a larger Turbine to receive electricity. The technology was new and had more industrial applications than consumer uses, but this same energy could be used to make electric lamps work, as well as electric heaters and the new electric kettle. Using Fire Dust and heat coils to boil water, it features a trio of twisting pipes, gadgets and gizmos, and two huge tanks to make steam turn a fan. This fan turns an axle with a bunch of sticky metals called magnets, which is then wrapped with copper wire to create this power. Magnets aren't like the rare earth metal ones you find at the hardware store, but rather are crafted by Forge Mages like Quartz to change the properties of the metal so that they stick. What the copper gathers is basically static and the energy of the metal's pull. There have been attempts to store this energy, but most attempts so far have been miserable at best and rather… explosive failures at worst.

What I was doing right then was changing out the steam gate, which was a lever which increased, decreased, or stopped the flow of steam to the fan depending on how far you pulled it. Ours had broken open, and some of our lights had broken because of it. I was out here trying to replace the bolt which tied the gate itself to the lever, as it was usually what broke in this particular pipe. It made sense as to why too, as it was basically in the middle of a great deal of hot damp air and just as much pressure created by said steam. I just didn't enjoy replacing it twice a month.

I backed away from the pipe and wiped my brow. The whole thing was hard to get to, even with all of these 'ease of access' points on the pipe. It was like the whole thing was made to break so mechanics could get paid. Luckily, I happen to make do with my own knowledge.

I looked out to the front yard, taking a break. There I noticed a pair of young ladies walking down the street, talking and gossiping like no tomorrow. They noticed me as well, and I waved with a warm smile. They gave me these nasty looks, glaring at me as though I were beneath them, before continuing on their way. I sighed unhappily, hating their behavior more than they seemed to despise me. There was… a problem in our society. Each nation has their own chosen hated group, and ours? Well, Faunus aren't nearly as hated as those of a lesser Class, and no Class was only above a Faunus of no Class. In the cold northern tundras Atlas, Faunus were sent to labor camps to serve and die while those with no Class were sent to do jobs and projects with few people working on them. In the southern oasis-riddled wasteland of Redsand, the more specialized one was the more they were despised, no matter their race. To the east in the Vale of Rogahn, women who did much working were seen less as citizens and more as outsiders, and citizens were more wary of Faunus than anything. To make a long story short, everyone had their own views on Class, Level, and Race.

I finished tightening the new bolt and replaced the access panel in about five minutes. 1 XP went to my name, and I wiped my hands clean on the rag I had brought with me. I put my father's tools back in his toolbox and packed up from there. With ease I lifted the toolbox and walked back to the shed, an exhausted look present on my face. My blonde hair had streaks of silvery black in them, which made my appearance much dirtier than I actually am given the soot on my brow and face. A quick shower would fix that right up, I decided.

"Hey, Grease Monkey," I heard a familiar voice call just outside the shed. I gently set down the box with a sigh. I knew what was coming next. "You got a hot second?"

"Can I clean up first," I said with a cracking voice. "I just finished replacing that stupid bolt again."

"Again," the voice whined. I repeated him affirmatively. Footsteps echoed in the shed as a stocky teen entered the room. A couple of blemishes dotted his face here and there, but otherwise he looked handsome. His brown hair and indigo eyes were disheveled and wild respectively, indicating recent activity. "I swear, that thing is gonna drive us both to an early grave."

"Well at least we know how to fix it," I huffed, turning to face the intruder. "This way it won't take our wallets with our lives, huh?"

"Fair, but still annoying," Cardin grumbled in front of me. "Anyways, Pops wants ya. Says he wants to show us something, I think." I raised an eyebrow. He was terrible with excuses.

"You just wanna fight again, don't you," I asked. He shook his head. I tilted my head, giving him a knowing look.

"Okay, maybe a little," he admitted. "He really does wanna see you, though."

"Again, can I clean up first," I asked. "I mean, soot and Fire don't mix well in my experience." I went over to the bucket of water I had pulled out for just this occasion and dipped a rag in said water. I almost immediately began scrubbing my hands and face vigorously, wiping all the soot and grime off of my body. Not once did I go after my hair, as no dirt ever touched it in the first place. I had closed my eyes so I could simultaneously relish the cool water and _not_ get gunk in my eyes. Once I was certain that my face was clean, I opened my blue-grey eyes to the world.

"Feel better now," Cardin asked, an unimpressed look on his face. I nodded.

"Much," I replied, following him out of the shed towards the backyard. In the back was Dad, waiting with a table before him. On the table was a pair of orange Dust Crystals, each one roaring with Fire ranging anywhere from 35 to 50 Fire Element. To either side of the Fire Dust, as pristine as the day we got them from Volcan, were the Fire Tomes. I could tell which side of the table was mine when I saw Firebird resting on my right. I made for that side and stood before Dad. Cardin did the same on the left side of the table, sturdy as an ox and just as husky. Dad nodded at both of us, making a simple gesture. Suddenly two lawn chairs made completely of Fire materialized behind us, nearly making Cardin yelp at the creation.

"Have a seat," Dad ordered, and we obliged. He went on to explain his reasons for calling us forth. "Before you rest your Tomes, Firebird for Jaune and Grand Inferno for Cardin. To the sides are Dust Crystals, charged with the Element of Fire. I will show you the way to open them, but you must break the locks yourselves."

Cardin bounced his legs happily, flexing his muscles to fight the strange feeling of excitement. I, on the other hand, wasn't so excited. After all, Volcan wasn't the only Nexus I had interacted with, and I didn't want to burn away the buff one had given me. True, Fire was a cool Element, but it didn't save me from the Parasite. Besides, I was actually waiting patiently to return to the Hallowed Wood, and I knew how much they hated Fire.

"The first thing you will do to open your Tomes," Dad continued, "is to take your Dust Crystal, the one which best matches the lock, which I have prepared before you. Take it firmly in your hand, like you would a dagger, and make sure that the sharpest tip touches your thumb."

I paid attention to this so that I could do this in the future. Dad continued.

"Now this might make you less comfortable," Dad warned. "Take your thumb and prick it on the Dust. It is the most assured way to do this right." I swallowed while Cardin went as white as the paint on the front door. I knew how much he was afraid of blood, especially his own. "When you have drawn blood onto the tip of the Dust Crystal, reverse your grip on it. Press the point into the most prominent hole in the lock and allow the Element to enter it. It will accept you as the only one who may access it. I cannot tell you what will be within, as each of these holds different knowledge even if the names are the same. Personal experience, don't ask."

Cardin was trying desperately to hold back his fears. He may have wanted nothing more than to freak out and scream like a banshee, for all I know. What I wanted to do had nothing to do with that. I was actually tempted to ask Dad or Mom to take me to the forest so I could ask one of the Nymphs for a similar volume, then find a way to fuse them together. I did, after all, use both in some form or fashion. Also, I didn't want to burn away the buff given to me by the Hallowed Root.

"On the subject," I inquired. "Is there any way you would be willing to chance a trip to the forest? The one we went to when I was a child?"

"Which one, we saw so many," Dad questioned. This might be a difficult one after all.

"The one with the Nexus," I replied. His expression twitched a little bit. Yup, harsh subject.

"Lemme guess," he hummed. "You want to make it compatible with that buff of yours, huh? Stay on the safe side and all that?" I nodded. He sighed somewhat harshly. "You do realize that that's not how Tomes work, right? You can't simply change it once it's made. Not without either serious repercussions or going back to the source with it. And for all we know, it may not be possible to make it work."

My expression fell. I had a feeling he would say that. He apologized for being rough, if he was, and left the table. I heard him swear as he left, angry about something along the lines of 'stupid Nymphs'. It made me upset when he did that, but I knew better than to confront him on the subject. He would tear me a new hole.

* * *

It's been four months after that day, the one when he showed me how to open a Tome. I was sitting on my bed, holding a picture frame in my hands tenderly. It showed the last time our family was truly together, about two months ago. I was trying so desperately not to just burst out crying. One hell of a birthday present. I remembered what his and Mom's present was, the gift he had gone through some trouble to retrieve. Another Firebird Tome, this one with the Life Element. And to think, that would be the last present I would ever receive from him. It was painful to say the least, it truly was.

I ran my fingers through my light and dark locks, brushing the hair out of my face. Life as a person with a specific Element was rough, no matter the Element or lack thereof. If one used no Element, people of all Elements and combinations would come knocking at their door in an attempt to win their loyalty and favor. Using a specific Element or combination risked taking on the ire of those who hated that Element. Using more than one might risk the same, along with jealousy from one or more of the other factions. As such, most cities had a majority of Element users or no real major player on that particular field. Aurum was not one of those cities, as Element users did _not_ like each other and wanted the majority for themselves. However, it did have a minority, and that was Fire and Lightning Elements. Honestly, anything to do with Fire was considered weak, and because of that Quartz had to leave town to find a job. My sisters got lucky, as they all used things outside of Fire. Cardin and I, however, had to be careful with our Magic and Skills, as we based most of our arsenal around Fire. And even though Dad was a grand hero, a Fire Inquisitor, he still used Fire. As such, it would obviously come to pass that he would encounter some radical who wanted him to leave.

But why did it have to happen on my birthday? I know he wouldn't want me to cry when he passed, but why did he have to go on my birthday? I already miss him, and it's only been a month and a half. A tear fell on the picture frame, the image itself protected by glass.

That Light Element bastard. I set the picture frame down gently on my nightstand, hoping to never forget what it represented. I thrust out my hand angrily, imitating what my father would do to summon his sword. I have never been able to replicate that, even using a special sleeve with a sword in it. A sword materializing from embers and Fire at the flick of the wrist and a swing of the arm. I noticed that I've been doing this ever since as a way to remember. _If only it wasn't like this_, I would always cry at night. _If only it didn't end like that_.

I flicked my wrist angrily, remembering last year's present. The Healing Sword was a true boon to me. His Fire Blade was ten times as mighty, and that was just his sidearm. His real weapon was a huge, six-foot behemoth of a sword that burned with veins of Fire that never ran dry. He called it Inferno Ultima, and what a fitting name it was for a weapon that could summon a hurricane of Fire at the user's will and whim. That was the last weapon he ever held in his mighty hand. The last hand he could ever have the strength to hold was that of his wife, Mom.

_That Light Element bastard_, I suppressed the words to my mind. _He'll pay for this. I will make sure he pays._

I swung my right hand with a fury unlike me. A flurry of red embers and a flash of green caught my attention. I sensed a new Skill in my repertoire, one that sounded about like what Dad used. It was one above my Level by about 2, but it was still mine to use now. I gazed upon the majestic beauty of the Healing Sword, wondering how it managed to come to my hands.

"I guess I practiced enough," I sniffled. The sword fell out of my grip as I lost all control of my emotions. My hands met my face quickly, covering my eyes as I wept. I wept for myself. I wept for my mother, now a Widow. I wept for my siblings, who were now fatherless. I wept for Cardin, who lost the one man who not only stood up for him, who not only acted as his second father, but showed him how to become who he is today. And most of all, I wept for my father, the greatest man I have ever known, the one person who could face down a giant Dragon and make it retreat under his gaze, the kindest soul I have ever known in my entire life, the one who I once made it my personal goal to be just like.

The man whose life was cut short before my very eyes.

* * *

**Intermission**

I can't even begin to express how hard that was for me to write that. Not that I have any true experience with grief like that, but… let me explain.

I have very little empathy, being Autistic the way that I am. Simultaneously, I have a great deal of it because I can see both outside the box and inside of it. My mother managed to teach me how to see the latter, and I've always been able to see the former. As such, I can understand how something can affect someone provided that I know their psyche and what it can do to someone in general, even if I can't experience it myself. On the other hand, said events can sometimes affect me in adverse ways or not at all, and I have a hard time understanding the full reasons why. I can assume that my mind simply can't comprehend the scope of what happened and reacts at random, but I'm not sure. All I know is that I don't always seem to react to things like others even if it hits me hard.

The biggest example of this is grief, such as mourning for a loved one who recently passed. Other people will do just that if they were close to that person: mourn and grieve their passing. For me, well… I find it hard to fully explain my response. I understand why others might feel that way, and I might feel something similar, but I just don't show it. My great aunt died in April last year, and my great grandmother followed shortly thereafter. I remember other members of my family crying about it, and I can see why they would. Heck, I was close to my great grandmother, and hearing about it a week after it happened hurt even more. I can still remember the anger I felt for not hearing of it sooner. I just… ah, I really can't put it into words. I did shed some tears, but most of them were forced. I knew that I should have cried, and I knew that that was the reaction that I wanted to have, the reaction that I _needed_ to keep going, but I didn't. Something just didn't click in my head to make me cry. I didn't register the grief until _months_ later. Not weeks, _months_. As in, I was in college when it really started hitting me how much stress it was laying down on me. This isn't griping, nor is it bragging. I'm just being honest here.

The reaction you saw here was the most fitting that I could see. It may not be how you would react, and it probably wasn't how Jaune would react, but it was what I perceive as the reaction that most people would have when faced with such a situation. So I apologize if it got a little too dark, and even more so if it triggered memories or wasn't an appropriate reaction. I don't expect you to understand what goes on in the insanity that is my mind, I honestly don't understand it myself. I just thought you should know the thought process going on here.

**Intermission**

* * *

A week has gone by since the day I learned the Skill to summon weapons. Mom has asked me to go looking for an apprenticeship. 'It'll get your mind off of what happened,' she said, and I hoped it would. In fact, now was the best time to find one, as I had just gotten out of Primary. Most tradesmen and specialists were looking for apprentices who were fresh out of Primary, most likely because our minds were geared towards learning and our Levels were high enough to perform adequately. In fact, now was the best time because most of us would have a Class by now, if not in a few weeks or months.

The problem was the simple fact that I had no Class. Not yet, at least. This made things very difficult for me, as almost all apprenticeship opportunities required that I have a Class that happens to be close enough to the tradesman for them to teach me. The only ones that I could even apply for were for Common jobs, most of which I could already perform. The other part of the issue of becoming an apprentice was the fact that I have an XP Parasite, one which will likely hinder my progress no matter how much or how quickly I learn. And don't even get me started on my Elements - Fire is among the most hated Elements in Aurum, and Life isn't the most popular either. The fact that I have them both makes it nearly a thousand times harder for me to even find someone _willing_ to teach me, and choosing one or the other will only draw the ire of whoever I don't choose and those who hate what I choose. And since the average minimum Level is 20 across the board, I have some work ahead of me.

As such, I took advantage of my ability to drive the steam car and took myself to the Life Nexus. Maybe they would have something for me, maybe they could help me, I dunno. Either way, they're not the only stop I have. I need to head to Volcan and tell him… about Dad. *sigh* I just hope he doesn't burn me to a crisp. Beryl and Quartz are coming with me, as they both need something from their respective Elemental Nexus. Cardin simply asked me to pick up his Fire Ruby from Volcan while I was out, so I guess I'll do that too.

I parked near the shed where Quartz got his first Binding Sword, which was no longer running as the blacksmith had been run out of house and home by some Earth Element supremacists. I swear, those guys are gonna get what's coming to them. Beryl and Quartz exited the vehicle while I shut off the boiler and locked the axles. I locked the brakes too, allowing the boiler to vent the remaining steam. Once that was all done, I exited the vehicle and pushed the carriage closed.

Quartz opted to remain behind and clean up the shed, as it was abandoned and the Nymphs would likely disapprove of him coming by. Given his Elemental preference, that was a wise decision on his part. Beryl had no such qualms, as she had never seen a Life Nexus before and desperately wanted to see it. Since she had followed in Mom's footsteps and became a Life Mage, I had a feeling that the Nymphs would absolutely love her.

As we neared the edge of the forest, I switched on my Element Seeker and whistled like a hawk. The green of the forest edge seemed to grow more concentrated as the Nymph who had greeted me so long ago seemed to transform from a youthful doe. Her peaceful blue eyes met mine and burned with kindness and glee. Beryl's blue eyes glittered with adoration at the form of the Nymph, neglecting the rush of XP she just received.

"Greetings, Sprout," the Nymph greeted me. "You have yet again grown, I see." We shared a quick embrace, one which she deemed necessary from our friendship. I smirked proudly.

"As always," I answered. "And I see the Wood hasn't moved much."

"You would assume, given the lack of damage here," the Guardian sighed. Her expression went from happy to downtrodden. "An Earth Element Mage recently came by here. I do not understand his hostility towards the Hallowed Wood, but he was certainly unpleasant. He assumed that I was a human, and attempted to… well, I can only assume that you would know what came next."

"How'd he leave, a deer or a pigeon?" I asked sarcastically. I did not expect the response.

"A local bear came by and stopped him, and upon my freedom I showed him what I truly was," she explained. My sister was about ready to explode with excitement, which did not go unnoticed. "A Life Mage, I see. You are related to him, yes?"

"You're a Guardian," Beryl squealed, rivaling the call of the birds of the woods. The Guardian chuckled, nodding. My youngest sister was already shaking like a leaf in the wind, wanting desperately to communicate with the Element given form. "I've always wanted to meet one of you! Oh, wow you're pretty."

"Many thanks, young one," the Nymph expressed, pleased at the compliment. She stepped deeper into the forest, gesturing for us to follow. "Come. My mother wishes to see you." We went with her.

Along the way, curious wildlife crept closer to Beryl and I, from deer and elk to leshen and fairies. On the way, Beryl spoke with the Nymph, asking many questions about this area and how it was created and cared for by the Nexus. The Nymph happily explained as we approached the Hallowed Root. A Level 80 Leshen named Bob came over to me and began making small talk with me. While we spoke, I was able to overhear some of the questions Beryl asked.

_How do Guardians form here?_ They are given life by the Hallowed Root, or what humans and Faunus called the Life Nexus. The process is a little different compared to other Nexus, and there are exceptions to this rule, but the Guardians here all come from the Root.

_Can Guardians procreate?_ With very few exceptions, and even then it is not in the same way that humans and wildlife do so. When a Guardian soaks up or is given enough of their native Element, they are capable of sharing their Element with another Guardian in a similar condition with the same or a compatible Element. When this happens, they can oftentimes form a new Guardian, albeit significantly younger in appearance and not always the same kind of Guardian as the 'parents'. The problem comes when two incompatible Elements come together, which is when Monsters form. Then again, there are ways to allow a Guardian to procreate in a more traditional sense, although the Nymph has yet to learn of it. Bob ended up shrugging, which I couldn't help but copy.

_Do Guardians have souls or personalities?_ Yes and no. They are extensions of their creator and the Element they were born from, and any personality they may have comes from that. So long as their Nexus isn't destroyed, Guardian 'souls' can return; however, these 'souls' are yet again extensions of the Nexus and Element that made them. A high-enough Level Guardian can be powerful enough to receive autonomy from the Nexus, but this rarely means that said Guardian is _willing_ to leave their home. This was the case with the Kitsune, the Dire Wolf, the Northern Elk, and the Golden Doe, and Bob was _almost_ at that point as well. I asked him how far it had to go, and the leshen replied with another 120 Levels. My questioning ended there rather quickly.

_What would happen if a Life Guardian and a Fire Guardian encountered one another in an area with no Elemental advantage?_ Depends on the Fire Element itself. If the Fire is passive, the Guardians may get along depending on their personalities; if active, then the two will remain at as far a distance as possible. Very few Guardians will attack outside of their home territory, with the broad exceptions of the Lightborn Guardians of Light Nexus, Darkness Guardians Grimm, and Monster Den creatures.

_Bob has a name. Do all Guardians have names?_ Not all of them, though most are higher Levels. This Nymph in particular was just below that Level, merely one Level to go. Each Nexus had different rules on the matter, and this one just didn't care about it much. The whole 'names' thing was more a matter of retaining the name itself, which was uncommon among lower-Level Guardians. She was simply unlucky in that regard.

We reached the clearing, and Beryl was yet again caught by surprise. I was too, as I received yet another huge boost of XP. I had yet to learn the full reasons behind it, but if an adult went back to a Nexus they once couldn't comprehend as a child, they would receive the rest of the boost the second time around since they could comprehend it now. Same with the creatures, though I learned that the easy way in school.

_Welcome back, Sprout_, I felt the warm hum of the motherly Root. _I pray your journey was well._

"It was," I replied out loud. Beryl tried to contain her glee, but she was also nearly overwhelmed by the sheer presence of the Nexus. She tends to do this around large sources of Elemental power, she's fine. "I came for two reasons, a third if you include my youngest sister, Beryl."

_I see_, the Root whispered. _Then I shall listen, Sprout. Do not feel afraid to speak._

"I came to inform you that my father has… recently passed," I phrased carefully, trying not to trigger any memories through my own words. The kind Nexus hummed her condolences, as did her four greatest Guardians. "The second is… more complicated. See, I had received a Fire Tome from the Nexus known as Volcan, and I didn't want to ruin our relationship _or_ what you did to stop the Parasite inside of me."

_How mindful of you, Sprout_, the mighty Nexus sang. _Most other humans might have already taken the risk by now. I must praise you for your consideration. May I feel the presence of this gift from Volcan?_

I carefully obliged, not daring to allow it to even come close to the clearing as I knew the dangers of Fire. The Root hummed thoughtfully as I put the powerful locked book in my bag and returned to the blue tree. In the meantime, Beryl was excitedly examining the most powerful Guardians, whose Levels I saw thanks to my Skills. The wolf was Level 467, the fox Level 338, the elk Level 403, and the doe was Level 499. The Nexus herself, if given a Level, was around Level 7714 and constantly climbing. Nexus did not have Levels, however, and as such were measured by their Element. This one in particular had an Element well beyond four digits, even though its age was just within a thousand years.

_I understand your fears, but there is little to fear_, said the Nexus. _That Fire Tome is passive, and cannot harm me. It is also quite compatible with my Element._

I breathed a sigh of relief. I heard a rustling next to me, almost to my immediate right. I turned to see a blue root acting like a pedestal for an oak-looking book with green corners and a blue bark lock on it. This was a Living Tome, one with no title and the author calling themselves 'Marigold'.

_Consider this to be a gift from two old friends_, the blue tree sang into my ears. _May your roots grow deep, Sprout._

I picked up the volume carefully and cautiously. It wasn't heavy to me, although I do have a high Labor stat. I was surprised by the gesture of kindness, especially since my main arsenal was just a Healing Sword and a pair of Fire Spells. Was it really because I was a good friend to them? I felt honored yet unworthy.

I turned to the entrance to the forest and looked around, trying to find out if I was actually allowed or supposed to take it. Instead of finding harsh or happy looks on Guardian faces, I saw the effects of the recent battle with that Earth Mage. Bob had a patch or two of bark missing completely while a dozen familiar Fairies were puffy-eyed as some of them carried fallen comrades to the bases of trees. Several Wood Golems had stalagmites sticking out of their limbs and bodies, and I could see one still stuck to a tree with one, eyes hollow and dead. Even the Nymph I had grown so close to was battered, with a light dusting of marble on the vines which made up her hair, sap still running down some of her wounds from a recent attack. The flower right in the middle of her chest had lost a few petals, so many that there was only one left. As such, with a heart heavy not with a clingy, greedy desire but with guilt and worry, I began to walk. I knew that if I didn't correct my trajectory I would miss the path, and that was the intent. I wasn't after leaving the forest, after all; I was after leaving a mark, doing what I could to provide some kind of help to this gentle community formed by an equally gentle Nexus.

I had reached my destination, which was within the clearing where the Nexus was housed, and took a knee as I offered the Living Tome to none other than the Nymph who I had met seven years ago. She seemed genuinely surprised by this gesture, but not as shocked as Beryl. Beryl griped about how I should just take the gift when it came to me, but I ignored this.

"You all need this more," I said from my position. "I understand that this is a gift, but I can see clearly that your most recent fight with that Earth Mage dealt more damage than I previously thought. I couldn't forgive myself if I simply took this while you were all suffering." Beryl took a moment to realize what I was saying, but when she did she gasped in shock at the damage to these Guardians just one Earth Mage did. I could tell that she was starting to feel guilty for telling me to simply take it. My actions, after all, stemmed from something Dad taught us: accept a gift when it is given, but give gifts to those in need just as often. Since Fire was dangerous if not properly used, I refused to let them suffer, and a sword could only do so much against most Classes and threats. This gift, the same one I had just received, was the most useful thing I could give them. "Please, take it; you need this more than I ever could."

The wounded Guardians were silent with surprise at my gesture. I didn't know why, although I guess gifts to the forest are rare, few and far between. Some of them were cautious about this, thinking it some kind of joke until they realized I was totally serious.

_You have just lost your father, and still you are willing to give your greatest gift_, the Root hummed, sounding both surprised and proud. _You and your sister both, it seems._

"I know," I said. "But I can't just sit back and watch while my friends are hurting, dying, suffering like this. Please, use this to protect yourselves. It would be a greater gift to me than anything else, to see you all able to protect yourselves as well as the Root."

A solemn silence fell over the clearing, one filled only by the gentle hum of the tree and the nearby wildlife. My sister had offered to use what limited Healing Spells she knew to heal the Guardians, even if it wasn't much. I had offered the very gift I had just received so that they could protect themselves. It must have been strange to the Guardians, seeing a Level 18 human boy with a Parasite offering up what may be his only leg up so that they could keep themselves going for what may be only a little while longer. But that's what I was raised on, and it was the right thing to do. My father may've taught me that justice in this world is basically nonexistent, but he also taught me that its pursuit was the highest honor, and there was no greater earthly glory than achieving it.

_Young Sprout, we already have_, the Root sang to me. I felt a surge of power rush through me, one I haven't felt before. _In that simple book was a choice. Had you simply taken it, you would have become a Life Mage with a special affinity; leaving it would have made you a Knight with the power of Fire and ties to this Wood. However, you not only accepted the gift but offered it back so that the forest could heal._

The Living Tome gradually grew heavier and heavier as it filled with knowledge. The presence of the Wood grew stronger as it healed itself. Tiny Fairies cheered as lost loved ones returned from death, wood creaked as leshen and Wood Golems put themselves back together, and green embers began to rise from the clearing floor. My Healing Sword, which was barely any bigger than a short sword, grew heavier as this forest presence expanded and grew. I could sense that my stats were rising to compensate, some more slowly than others.

The Nymph before me changed as well, starting a new growth of her own as her petals regenerated. She started growing from the form of a little girl to that of a young lady about my age. Some of the bark on her skin changed into human flesh, and flowers began to bud in her hair. I couldn't tell what was going on, but I did know that I felt way stronger.

"Whoa, Jaune," I heard Beryl mumble. "Did you just get a Class or something?" I couldn't tell. All I knew was that it was different from what I normally feel.

The feeling faded after five minutes, and I was left with confusion and curiosity. The Nymph before me set her hand on the book, pushing it back to me. The Living Tome, upon further inspection, had developed a title: Paladin. I was hopelessly confused about all of this, and I'm pretty sure that even if it was explained to me I still wouldn't understand. Beryl was standing right next to me, her hand on my shoulder.

"C'mon, Short Stack, Quartz is waiting for us," she declared. "I think the forest can handle itself right now."

_We can indeed_, I heard the Root sing. The song was now clearer than ever before, vibrating through the trees and all living things within the forest. Where the Nexus affected the forest, there the song could be heard. _Go to your brother, Sprout. The forest is healing thanks to you._

* * *

Back at the steam car, Quartz took one glance at me and almost immediately turned red in the face. It wasn't one of those embarrassed blushes, oh no. He was holding his breath back so that he didn't let loose a huge scream of anger or whatever emotion he was feeling. Judging by the look in his eyes, this time it was a jealous rage.

"Uh, Quartz," I called. "What's got you so upset?"

"What's got me upset?!" he exploded. "Did you really just ask me that? Are you serious right now? You wanna know what's got me upset? I've been shooting for the Paladin Class for years, only to figure out that I can only be a Mage of some kind! Nearly seven years later, I get out of a musty shed to find that my brother completely skipped the Knight Class and jumped straight to Paladin! No I'm not jealous, I'm outright furious with my luck!"

He breathed heavily for a moment or two as Beryl and I made our way back to the Forge Mage and the car. I decided to ignore this angry comment, taking the new volume and setting it beside me in the sole front seat of the steam-powered vehicle. I didn't know what had just occurred within the forest, but I could tell that it definitely did something to the Hallowed Wood. I was also at a high-enough Intelligence stat to gain the full XP I had missed out on as a child. 90 XP from seeing the Nexus, 15 from each type of Guardian, and 115 apiece from those really freaking cool Unique Guardians. Something else was among that, but I don't count what I can't explain. 610 XP to my name right then and there. Huge rush, I'm not gonna lie, but there's way more. Combined with the 115.3 XP left over from the recent months, and I'm up to 725.3 XP of 645 XP. Also known as I gained a Level without realizing it. Level 19 with 80.3 XP of 690 to go before I reach Level 20. There are also some smaller gains, but I can't tell what for. No, I don't need a Token Mirror to know that, as one can generally start to tell what Level they are and how much XP they gain as they age. I'm on the verge of knowing where the XP comes from, but I'm not a pro at it quite yet.

Quartz and Beryl got in the carriage portion of the vehicle, the only part with actual doors on it, and I started the boiler. It would take a while to get up to heat, so we spoke in the meantime. By we, I of course mean they. I mean, why would they _want_ to speak to their brother who just so happens to have a Parasite that talks to him. And speaking of devils invites them over, and who else should speak than Gary the Parry? Yeah, I named the Parasite out of boredom and spite - it gets kind of lonely when everyone leaves you alone for having a 'weak' dominant Element, using two Elements, being the son of an Inquisitor from a 'weak' Element, and having a Parasite that slows your XP gain by half. Besides, I enjoy hearing it fume and roar in anger for calling it by a name it dislikes.

_Oi, Gary_, I thought consciously, knowing that the being would hear me. It snarled at me like a wild animal. I have long gotten used to this treatment, no longer feeling any fear towards it. _Wanna entertain me for the next five, ten minutes while the boiler gets running?_

_Violate your own privacy,_ the creature growled in my head. Oh, bad call.

_Says the creature violating my privacy by being a parasitic Parasite_, I returned. I could feel the tiny being shifting slightly inside of my body, although stopped mostly by the Nature's Grace buff inside of me. That and it was feeding off of my own metabolism, so there is that. A Parasite in every way, focused on XP as it is.

_Your words could not have been any more poorly chosen, Human_, it grumbled. _Even I know how to speak more fluently than that, and I am incapable of speech. Furthermore, you seem to have intentionally done that, as I know how you like to speak._

_You have been with me for 14 years of my life by now_, I mentioned. It huffed angrily.

_And your next sarcastic remark will be 'what, strike a nerve',_ it observed. I had no arguments, but it did give me an idea. _I swear, if you actually end up saying that I will find a way to make you suffer in whatever way I can manage to find. Like bringing up poor Daddy getting stabbed with a butter knife._

It received a mental thrashing for that one.

_Strike a nerve, did I_, Gary taunted. _Oh, but I'm not done ye- ._

I stopped paying attention to Gary altogether, shutting its voice out of my head. I heard a record coil playing a soft melody in the rear carriage, only further cementing my loneliness. Well, at least the tune was okay. Soft rises, gentle harmonies, a few tender solos here and there. It kind of reminded me of the forest out there, the lake from my childhood, and the good times from school. Which only further reminded me of Dad, putting me in a pretty sore spot. Oh, how badly I wanted to socialize with my older siblings. But I kinda figured that they wouldn't, knowing that everyone else shunned me. Hell, even Amethyst had shut me out for a while. Mom was still pretty broken up over Dad, so of course she wouldn't be speaking much. That left my only allies in this world to be Cardin, Sky, Russel, and Dove, maybe a couple of others if they grew a pair. Too bad they probably wouldn't.

The boiler was ready after the song ended, and we pulled away from the abandoned shack. We had done enough here, thinking and acting; it was time we moved on towards our next destination.

* * *

I drove the car's tractor halfway up the basalt mountain, a dozen or so yards before the rocks would get too big and the slope to high for us to continue. It wasn't far from Aurum, but another much smaller farming settlement had set up shop at the base of the volcanic mountain. Volcan knew what he was doing, keeping the fields fertile with his almost biannual eruptions. Still, the fact that their fields were only at the base of the volcano spoke of how much respect this mighty mountain lord commanded.

I turned off the boiler and let the boiler cool while excess steam vented from the outlet pipe near the top of the turbine. Beryl and Quartz exited the carriage, closing the doors behind them. Together we ascended the small black mountain, during which Quartz questioned me about Paladin things. Things which confused me at first.

"So what kind of Paladin do you wanna be?" was one of the questions. Beryl elbowed him in the ribs, saying something about subtlety. Yeah, subtlety wasn't his strong point, even with his high Social stat.

"Well, I don't know if I wanna _be_ a Paladin yet, but it does sound like a good Class to be," I answered after getting over the initial confusion. "I'll have to think on that."

"Well if you _did_ just so happen to want to become one," he pressed, "and you just so happened to become one, what kind of Paladin would you want to be?"

"Not there yet," I replied. "Not there yet, and not there yet."

"Okay, say you just _magically_ became a Paladin right now," he urged. "What kind would you want to be?" To that I scratched my chin thoughtfully.

"Well, that is an entirely different class of adventurer than your previous questions," I mentioned. I actually had to think about it for a moment. "I would definitely have to think about it."

"Well entertain both of us while we walk and think about it, alright," he requested. He received another sharp elbow to the ribs by Beryl. It was hard to believe that Beryl was already a legal adult, to be honest; her stature was petite to say the least, her voice didn't help matters, and her attitude towards everything seemed to stay the same across the years. Quartz, on the other hand, definitely acted more like a child the more he saw his girlfriend. Man, one might assume that he was drunk when he was with her and a brat when he wasn't.

"I'll let you know when I finish," I said as we ascended the mountain. To be honest, I've been thinking about it for some time. Paladins, to those who might not already know, are warriors who use both weapons and Spells to bring the pain down on some unlucky foe. On average, they start out at around twice my Level with a much heavier arsenal and far greater repertoire of Spells to their name. They usually have a base Armor of my total Armor, which makes them many times stronger than I. But what makes them unique is the fact that they usually serve a Nexus or a general Element. Most of the time, a Paladin will choose the latter, even though the former would make them many times stronger than any other and allow them to become a Nexus Guardian later on down the line. What's more, almost all Paladins start off as Knights first, meaning I would have to choose to go down that path right there before I could have a chance at becoming a Paladin.

But back to Quartz's prompt, where I simply skipped all of that and became a Paladin… it was a difficult query to solve. I would, if a normal child at birth, have a great number of choices before me. I am not that child, but I still have far too many options here. I could become a Life Paladin, or a Paladin of the Hallowed Root; then again, the same applies to every other Nexus out there. I could also go down the path of revenge and become a Darkness Paladin, but that was just as bad as becoming a Light Paladin _and_ I know better than vengeance. I felt a strong pull towards Fire mostly because of Dad and Volcan, but the same could be said towards Volcan himself. That same pull came from Life and the Root for similar reasons, which only made my choice that much harder.

_That Fire Tome is passive, and cannot harm me,_ I recalled the Root telling me. _It is also quite compatible with my Element._ I could only assume that Volcan would say the same thing about that Living Tome. And Paladins weren't disallowed from choosing multiple compatible Elements, expanding my options greatly. However… yes, that would do just fine. The Hallowed Wood would be safe, and I would have access to powerful Elemental Spells and perhaps a similar arsenal too.

"I think I have an answer," I said as we reached the peak of the volcano. Quartz was caught by surprise. "Given the criteria you provided me, I think I would become a Paladin of the Woods we just went to, one with a specialization in passive Fire."

"So kinda like a Phoenix Paladin, huh," he inquired. I nodded, recalling the legends of said grand firebird and the Paladins thereof. "You do remember what happened to the original Phoenix Paladins, right? The first seven were burned to a crisp because they used active Fire once, then the eighth was too weak to do much of anything. Going down that path is risky as Hell, rewarding as it may be." I shrugged.

"They did say that," I admitted. "But they also said that I would be forty and barely be reaching Level 15, and here I am at Level 19 with another Skill to take and I'm a year into puberty."

"A year _and a half_," Beryl corrected. Quartz cackled like he had just heard a joke. I was almost up there with him, and would be if it weren't for the fact that Beryl is older than me and can kick me in the _derriere_ without issue. "Quartz, what is so funny?"

"You honestly corrected him when you haven't been through it yourself," he wheezed. She pushed him over angrily.

"It was delayed, jerk," she huffed. He was still laughing like a madman as he got up and caught up with us at the mouth of the volcano.

"He's asleep right now, kiddos," a certain Lava Golem said from behind us. "You three need something, he told us to answer for him. What is it?"

"Magma, Blast," I said calmly, keeping down the memories as best I could. "Long time no see. What's up with Volcan?"

"Boss is tired, kid. Just got through with an eruption, gotta sleep and all that," Blast explained. "How's Argentum, by the way? I see he's not with ya, huh?"

We three siblings looked between each other, still not over the trauma just yet. Magma and Blast grew concerned.

"Oh, no," Magma said as he realized what was going on. "Don't tell me he's gone and… not little Flame."

"He died about two months and a week ago," I explained, holding back tears. Gary remained silent, knowing that my pain would be shared with him. "He was killed by a Light Knight on my birthday."

"He was _**WHAT**_," Blast roared, and the volcano began to shake. The crater widened slightly as Volcan woke up angrily. His Fire rose to new heights, peaking at nearly a hundred thousand. The volcano remained peaceful as Volcan exited the caldera in the form of an angry Lava Giant.

"_**Who killed my son**_," Volcan roared. The heat was overwhelming to Beryl and Quartz, but I remained sturdy through it all, absorbing the hellish flames. Quartz shivered fearfully, not expecting such a reaction. Beryl was on her knees, tears in her eyes from seeing such a mighty being get so furious. The gentle giant was usually just that: gentle.

"A Light Knight, sir," I answered respectfully, looking the mighty Nexus in the eye as I answered. This way he could see into my soul and see the truth himself. "On my birthday. I- I'm sorry, I was there and it's hard for me to say it with a dry face." I turned away to wipe away the fallen tears. The heat died down, allowing my Elemental Resistance to relax. I must've gained about 5 XP from that one, meaning said Resistance stat had just risen by another 10.

"I am sorry, young ones," Volcan apologized. "I lost my temper unjustly. Surely the culprit was caught?" I nodded. "I see. Send my condolences to his love for me. One last gift to an old friend. And what about Cardin, has he taken it well?"

"Not really, but he did ask me to pick up… whatever he asked you for," I replied. He nodded in understanding. A red ruby with the burning essence of Fire compacted into it levitated from the volcanic pit and into my hands. It was still warm to the touch when I grabbed it, meaning it was likely hot enough to evaporate water on contact.

"Consider it done," he declared. "I assume those things were not the only reason you came?" I flicked my wrist and summoned Dad's old Fire Sword. I held it with two hands as I offered it back to the Fire Nexus.

"Whoa, he taught you that," Blast said with shock and awe. Magma was just as startled. Perhaps the biggest look of surprise came from Volcan himself, who has since shrunken down to Quartz's height and lost the lava.

"I remember that Skill," Volcan said as he remembered something. "It was among the first Skills I taught Argentum when he became my Inquisitor. I assume he did not teach you that before his fall?" I shook my head. "I see."

The blade left my hands, floating towards the flaming entity. The Element became one with the Nexus. Something else entered my hands, something which seemed familiar. A warm blade, one with the heat of the gem that was now in an appropriate pouch.

"Thank you for returning the blade," Volcan expressed his gratitude with a proud salute. "Accept this as gratitude from a grateful Fire King." I looked over the sword curiously once before sheathing it where the Healing Sword normally goes. The aforementioned sword is currently in my backpack so that I can look it over and polish it when we return home. Volcan yawned widely before telling us goodbye and soaring back down to the pit of the volcano. With that, we all left the volcano after saying goodbye to the Guardians. We reached the car safely and went back home. Our job was, for all intents and purposes, done.

"Wait, what about Quartz," Beryl realized.

"I won't bother him if he's tired," Quartz answered nobly.

* * *

**Jaune Arc, Level 19 Paladin**

**Allegiance: undecided**

**XP to Level 20: 285.335 XP of 690**

**Passive XP: 0. per day**

**Recent Changes:**

**Stats**

**Elemental Resistance: 65**

**Equipment**

**Fire Sword: Piercing 6, Weight 2, Sturdiness 10. Effects: Fire-based attacks deal 50% more damage, applies Burning debuff to targets with less than 25 Elemental Resistance.**

**Living Tome: Paladin, Firebird**

**Fire Tome: Firebird**

**Skills**

**Blade Summon (Self-Taught, behind Level): allows you to summon any sword of your choosing**

**Buffs**

**Paladin's Healing Aura: regenerative properties given/increased to allies within the radius of the Aura, 15 foot radius**

**Paladin's Defensive Aura: base Armor stats given/increased to allies within the radius of the Aura, 15 foot radius**

Oh. I am a Paladin. No wonder Quartz was asking me that stuff. Glad I checked the Token Mirror when we got home, else I'd be even more embarrassed than I already am.

**New Buff Alert!**

**Realization: Jaune feels really dumb for not realizing that he is, in fact, a Paladin now. If the Token Mirror could laugh, it would**

_Ha freaking ha, that's so hilarious._

I left the mirror. Oh boy. Just… oh boy. Hated Class, hated Elements _plural_, low Level to boot, and to top it all off I have a high-Level Parasite sucking on my XP. My future Master is going to _love_ me.

Not.

**End**

* * *

**A/N: Could've been better, I think. Could have been **_**so**_ **much worse, as evidenced by the past, but I could have done better had I not taken breaks. Jeez, now I'm making me think I suck… oh wait, I kinda do. I don't think I did too hot with the Steampunk stuff. Or the Guardians and Elements stuff. The Paladin stuff is alright for now, but I should be cautious about stuff like this in the future. FUTURE REFERENCE POINT, TEX!**

**Anyways, I'll either do another time skip next chapter or I'll do something with Steampunk and Paladins and apprenticeships. General Texas, signing out.**


	6. Chapter 6

**You know what, guys? I guess I'm not doing as bad as I thought. Sure, I still think I could do better, but the Reviews I've gotten have told me that I'm doing better than I think I am. To be honest, I'm surprised by the support I've gotten. I always wanted to get close to it, but at some point in recent years I kinda figured that it was out of my reach. So let me take the time to say thank you, all of you. Here's to more improvement, the best story I've written, and the people who hang out for the ride.**

**Also, fair warning: the Stats, Skills, and Buffs lists have grown to such a degree that I'm changing their respective formats. Mostly everything else will remain relatively intact, but I don't want anyone to get too confused from this change.**

* * *

_**Still don't own RWBY. Not part of RT, even decided to unsubscribe from their YT (I wasn't interested anymore, sorry). Still waiting for my computer to get fixed, still going through college. Definitely happy, grateful, and proud of the community that formed around this story. Thank you, all of you, for your support.**_

* * *

**Jaune Arc (14 years old)**

**Level 19 Paladin, no affiliations**

**XP to Level 20: 285.44 of 690 XP**

**Base Armor: 24**

**Passive XP: 0.12 XP per day**

**Stats**

**Strength: 64 (Labor 18, Combat 25, Force 15, Control 17), Intelligence: 67 (Wisdom 38, Intelligence 26, Technical 13, Strategy 16), Constitution: 64 (Immunity 84, Endurance 57, Tolerance 61, Maga 55), Agility: 53 (Balance 15, Flexibility 18, Speed 20), Social: 72 (Emotion 64, Compassion 66), Resistance: 65 (Physical 57, Magical 56, Elemental 65)**

**Equipment**

**Undershirt (Comfortable), Keratin-Leather Vest (Armor 16, Weight 1, Movement 0.15), Denim Jeans (Armor 8, Weight 0.5, Movement 0.15), Keratin-Leather Boots (Armor 8, Weight 0.5, Movement 0.05), Leather-Padded Denim Jacket (Armor 12, Weight 0.5, Movement 0.25), Healing Sword I (Piercing 10, Weight 2, Sturdiness 10, heals wielder passively), Fire Sword I (Piercing 6, Weight 2, Sturdiness 10, increases Fire attack strength by 50%, applies Burning debuff to targets with less than 25 Elemental Resistance)**

**Total Armor: 35**

**Abilities: Element Seeker, Burning Wrath**

**Skills**

**Nature's Eye, Dust Acquisition, Fishing II, Survival I, Weapons Basics III, Unarmed Combat IV, Elemental Knowledge V, Fireball II, Flame Pulse I, Healer I, Seeker (Self-Taught), Rapid Fire, Blade Summon (Self-Taught)**

**Tomes: Living (Paladin), Living (Firebird), Fire (Firebird)**

**Buffs**

**Weakness, Second Opinion, XP Drain (Passive 60%, Active 50%), Symbiotic Binds, Nature's Grace, Comfortable, Puberty, Recent Tragedy (Jaune has recently lost someone. He is unfocused and emotionally unstable)**

**Class Buffs: Healing Aura, Defensive Aura**

* * *

I sat down with the three Elemental volumes before me, sitting with the person who may eventually be my teacher. I was actually going to have two apprenticeships, one with a Knight and another with a Paladin. I was with the Level 45 Knight who was to teach me. Beside each Elemental book was a Dust Crystal filled with appropriate energy, each one primed to open the locks.

As I prepared, I couldn't help but remember what had gotten me to this point: I had asked the Paladin for an apprenticeship, but when I told him that it would be my first apprenticeship he told me to find a Knight first. Luckily for me, he had a brother who was looking for an apprentice, whom he told of my dilemma. The two brothers decided to give me a dual apprenticeship, something which would ensure that I could grow into my Class and keep up with others my age in terms of Levels. However, there was one tiny, minuscule problem which they brought up to me: most teachers wouldn't accept someone who had yet to open a Tome, and for a very good reason which they explained. See, a Tome can screw up an apprentice's training if used in the middle or early thereafter, and older Tomes tend to have much more potent knowledge than fresh ones; as such, Mages can get away with saving a Tome or two while a Knight or a Paladin cannot. That's why I can't have even one unused Tome before I start training. I got seriously lucky, as the brothers were willing to let me use them a week before training begins; they were also curious as to how the mystic encyclopedias worked, as they have never seen one used before today. And so, here we are at a table in their home, watching and/or opening Tomes.

I swallowed deeply. Cardin opened his a week before my birthday, and he said it felt funny to him. Dad described the process as this huge waterfall of information jamming itself into my skull all at once. Mom explained it as a migraine followed by knowledge you didn't have previously. And those situations were just with one Tome apiece. I have three before me, meaning the pain will be greater, the knowledge just as much more, and any other weirdness will be even more so. Oh boy, this might be a bit rough around the edges.

I started with the Living Tome titled 'Paladin', as that was the one the eldest brother - the Paladin - wanted to see first, as it was the freshest. I had wanted to start with Fire, as it would reduce the chance of it burning away what knowledge the others bestowed upon me, but I obliged anyways. After all, the older a Tome got, the more information it bestowed upon they who open it, and I'm still not up for pushing my luck. Yet.

I took the glowing green gemstone in my hands, with my thumb on the sharpest edge. Luckily the edge wasn't serrated, as that would lessen the pain and bleeding by a margin. All I needed was enough to coat the tip of the crystal, no more or less. I had a wad of cloth in my mouth to ease the pain as best I could on my own and prepared myself for what was to come.

"Hang on," I interrupted. "I still have a Skill to get. May I do that first?" The eldest brother nodded, the younger uncaring about it. I thanked them and, almost on instinct now, entered the Skills Range.

The world slowed down for me as everything changed to me. I was almost immediately transported to the familiar dark blue skies with silver bubbles in them. Some were differently colored, some by an orange-red and others by a tame forest green. The Parasite was pointing eagerly at the red ones, with orange ones also having a red tint to them as the Parasite tried to make me take them. I could only refuse them, knowing that anything red would either free it or harm me. The Nymph still sat on the shoulders of the charcoal being, though she was no longer pinning it down. Instead, she opted for a cage which limited the monster to an incredibly small area.

_Hello again, Sprout_, the Nymph called gently. _I pray you good fortune in all that you choose and do._ I nodded at the young creature and began to look around at my selections. My first instinct was to go further down the Fireball rabbit hole, but Fireball III was marked with red as well as orange, meaning the Parasite wanted it. Same with Flame Pulse II and a new one called Flame Embodiment, the latter of which would allow me to be made completely of Fire until said Element had been used up inside of me. Nope, bad idea.

I moved on to the Life side of things, which was unfortunate in that I haven't checked it out in over a year. Let's see, Healer II, Nature's Touch, Cedar Oak… Healer II sounds safe, to be honest. Healer II would allow me to heal more quickly at the expense of some Life Element inside me. Nature's Touch would give me a minor empathetic bond with wild creatures and some lower-Level Guardians, allowing me to hear what they actually say or mean. Cedar Oak is kind of like Flame Embodiment, except instead of becoming the Element I would simply be coated by a layer of it, increasing my Base Armor up to 40… now that I think about it, it's between Cedar Oak and Healer II. There are others, but those are greyed out, meaning I need to meet some prerequisites before I can get them.

… I think for now I'll go with Healer II. I'm not a true Paladin yet, so I have little need for Cedar Oak. Besides, that way I can actually help more without getting too much in the way, as Healer II would also allow me to heal someone at a distance of 3 feet away. And since it had a sword icon right behind the actual emblem, I can use the Healing Sword to further extend my reach.

I returned to the real world having made my choice, sighing as I realized what came next. Two birds with one stone, four if you count individually. I can do this, no problems. I took the green glowing crystal in my hand, pointing the sharp part towards my thumb, and dug the sharp corner into the flesh of my thumb. Nothing really happened except for pain in my thumb, but a tiny motion to one side made pain truly shoot through me. I had broken through the skin and drawn blood, which was now starting to coat the tip of the Elemental crystal. I bit down on the cloth in my mouth, biting back screams and tears as best I could, before releasing the pressure on my thumb. There was a really small cut on my thumb, welling up with blood, but the job was otherwise done without noticeable damage.

I twirled the crystal around in my hand, pointing the bloody part of the gem towards the lock on the Living Tome. I shivered from pain, cold, and anticipation, the former two from stabbing my own thumb. This is one of those fine moments in my life where I hate myself, but the hard part was done. Now came the really hard part: discovering the contents of the Tome without raging at whatever deity came to mind for giving me a stupid thing.

I lowered the bloodied tip of the Dust down towards the hole in the lock until it slid right into the hole, proceeding to press down with the crystal. The energy flowed out of the gem and into the lock, breaking the lock and cementing the Tome as my own… huh? That was weird. The lock opened, flung itself clean off of the oak cover, and I opened the book to the first page like any other novel. Inside was, quite frankly, nothing. There was nothing on the pages. Maybe I had to - oh, there it goes. Words began to fill the pages at blinding speeds, filling my head with fresh information. I recognized new Skills such as Survival II and III, Hunting I, Stats, and Pathfinder. Survival just expanded my knowledge if basic Survival, Hunting taught me how to track a creature, Stats allowed me to see the major stats of another person up to Level 50, and Pathfinder popped up a sense of where I was and places I could feasibly reach in a 50-foot radius around me. There were some others, but they were basics on combat and, as such, gave me XP for knowing them already. Directly at that, which was a first for me. Man, 100 XP base plus 60 XP for previous knowledge and 50 from opening up my first one, all from a single Tome, plus a couple of new tricks up my sleeve. Not bad for a fresh Tome. 8 Skills for that one, it seems. The Tome shrank rapidly into a pocket form, a small magical encyclopedia for future reference, if you will. Kind of overpowered, if you asked me.

_If it managed to get rid of Gary and return my lost 6,395.44 XP, that would be freaking amazing_, I couldn't help but think. The Parasite writhed in its position near my heart.

_I hate you_, it grumbled.

_The feeling is mutual_, I returned.

I turned back to the matter at hand. Now I had to open the other two. I wasn't paying attention to this, but I had also replenished about 5 Life Element from opening that Tome, which is somewhat interesting in hindsight. Must've been a special feature from that specific Tome, as I didn't get that special treatment from the others. Either that, or there's just a chance of it happening in general. Regardless, my Resistance expanded in kind to compensate, also granting me some XP. Add that to the list of things that the Parasite took from me.

Since I already had blood on my thumb, I was simply able to rub it on the other crystals without worsening the wound and open them in kind. I started with the other Living Tome, pressing the tip of the gem moist with blood into the lock. Again, it drained most of the Element from the Dust, this time a little more than the last one. Again, the lock blasted off of the Tome. This one had a birch cover with a minty foliage lock and rim. I waited for a moment this time before opening up the book, and this time was flooded with compatibility Skills, links between passive Fire and Life. I learned ten new Skills I hadn't thought of yet, including Hunting II and III, Fishing III, Living Fireball III, Flame Dispel, and others. I also received 100 XP base from this one, and I was starting to think it was just a thing with all of them. Nope, I was way off with that logic. That was just the two Life Nexus being nice to a 'Sprout' as they called it. What I did _not_ expect was that opening older Tomes gave you XP the older they got, which was a nice surprise from the Fire Tome. A really big surprise, but a nice one nonetheless.

When I opened the Fire Tome, I noticed that the whole thing glowed but wasn't satisfied with what was in the Dust, forcing me to compensate with my own Fire to feed its massive hunger. In fact, it fed on so much Fire that it ran myself, the brothers, and two other crystals dry before it was fully satisfied. When I was _finally_ able to open it, I was almost instantly hit with a rush of information. Fireball III, Flame Pulse II, Basalt Skin, Flamethrower I and II, Fire Efficiency, _Life_ Efficiency of all things, Flame Embodiment, Living Flame Pulse II, Sulfur Blast, _Cooking_ I, _Metalworking_ I and II, and a number of others. 24 in total I learned, some of them further merging with the Living variants and thus not counting towards the total, others making no sense as to why they would be in a _Fire_ Tome, and still others that I thought would require me to use another kind of Element than what I have access to. Plus the 720 XP I received for opening it so late, combined with the base 50 I got for the new Element of this Tome, and I was basically praising God. Religion comes later, too complicated for right now.

The brothers were most impressed with my sudden boost and Level gain, as I was now boasting Level 20 with 677.94 of 735 XP towards Level 21, plus another three Skills to learn. Perhaps I was too eager, as I went in and picked out Cedar Oak, Mountain Climber, and Healer III. As soon as I was back out, I felt absolutely miserable as the Tomes began to force their knowledge into the depths of my mind, shrunken as they may have been. New lesson: if you're gonna go and open a library of Tomes, make sure to do them one at a time rather than all at once.

* * *

A week later and I was back in action… sort of. My mind wasn't all together right now, still picking itself up after the massive mistake that was pulling the crap I just did a week ago. I still felt like the aforementioned profane term, which is not good given my dual apprenticeship. Still, now is the time to start learning from the younger brother, the Knight. No time to be down for the count or whatever; now is the time to freaking train. And speaking of which, today was supposedly going to be different compared to the rest of my training, which was both exciting and worrying.

"Alright," the Knight spoke with a clear tone. "There are some targets over there so we can get this over with, plus a bit of a wall I managed to set up last night in case your new Skills get a little crazy. Speaking of Skills, today we're going to see what all you _can_ do so we can gauge how to teach you, with an added side-effect of helping you solidify some of your newer Skills into your repertoire. This clear to you so far?"

"Yeah," I answered rather quickly. I pulled out my necessary equipment, leaving the rest sitting on a rack near a corner behind me and to my right. Said necessary equipment: my two swords, part of a few Skills I needed to check out; my armor, which doubled as my normal clothes; and my three Elemental encyclopedias, which I handed to the Knight and Paladin, who were doing a joint training exercise for today and however much longer it took them to gauge me if such time was necessary. The Knight took the first book, the Living Firebird, and flipped through it so fast that I was worried that he didn't know what he was looking for.

"Alright, first things first: Cedar Oak," the younger brother ordered. As if on instinct by now, I drew on my recent knowledge. Brown bark covered my skin for a fraction of the cost I was told of taken off, likely due to the Life Efficiency Skill at work. "Sturdy Roots." A number of thin strands of wood burst from the bark at my ankles and feet and searched for soil or rock to dig into, finding crevices between the cobbled rocks that made up the patio in the brothers' home. "Forest Camouflage." My oaken skin turned green and dark, and a green aura came about me that changed my appearance from that of a boy to that of a tall bush. "Good, doing well so far. Let's see… I can't really test that just yet, no Elementals nearby… ooh, okay. Elemental Summon."

I had to release my other Skills to conserve my Life Element and let it relax and recharge, waiting for a few more moments before unleashing this one. When I did, a green bubble of energy formed a mere few feet away from me, from which emerged a tiny Immature Wooded Nymph, a much smaller and more tree-like version of the Nymph I have befriended. The tiny creature was surprised to have been summoned, even more afraid because of the Fire Paladin off to my side, but I almost immediately took her into my arms to comfort her. She was shaking for a few moments before calming down, forest green eyes staring deeply into my dark blue ones. It couldn't be any bigger than a toddler, no older than five summers. She was formed from 25 Life by a nearby Life Nexus, and had been cared for directly by the Nexus itself for her whole life. No wonder she was so terrified, she wasn't used to most things outside of her birthplace.

"Well done, well done," the Knight admitted, a bit off-guard from my summoning trick. "Erm, let me… okay, you just used Elemental Summon. Great, now go for an… nevermind, I misread. Get rid of that thing, let's continue."

I repeated the Summon, effectively reversing it and sending the tiny creature back to her home. This exhausted me slightly, as it used up a bit of Maga and what was left of my Life Element. Still, I couldn't go for what the Knight was implying, that being ending the life of an innocent Elemental. The Knight gave me a bit of a look, not liking my decision but clearly understanding his lack of insight, and moved on.

"Alright, dodge this," he said, implying that I should use Near Miss to avoid his next attack. I did so, narrowly dodging his right hook. "Jump!" I complied as he performed a leg swipe that would normally have hit me in the waist, one which I avoided with a front flip right over him and the table. "Now catch!" He threw a dagger at me, forcing me to employ Knife Catch to safely snatch the blade before it could hit me or his brother. "Back to me!" I rearranged the knife in my hand before throwing it at the young man, using the only Skill that I had already learned in my training with the Combat School. The Knight caught the flying weapon with ease, showcasing his incredible skills. "Not bad for a rookie, but for a Paladin that was miserable. We're gonna have to fix that, kid. For now, let's focus on what you know now. Magnus, you're up. Fire and Paladins are your thing, y'know."

"I am aware, Minor," Magnus answered his brother. He ignored the two encyclopedias for a moment as he sized me up. "I'm most curious, Jaune. How could you have missed out on such basic combat Skills as these, let alone their expanded forms, Avoidance and Reflex? You claimed to have gone through a Combat School, no?"

"I entered a little late," I replied. "And I had to leave when ah… my Dad… left us." The brothers were quiet for a moment, letting that sink in as I struggled with the facts themselves. "I was there when it happened. And at the subsequent funeral."

"I see," Magnus hummed. "In that case, we shall remedy this lack of knowledge in the midst of your training. And by 'we', I of course mean Minor. But I digress, let us continue. Minor, take that Life Dust and give it to Jaune. He may end up needing it for this next part." Minor nodded and obliged, giving me the requested item in question. I replenished my Element using the Dust, draining the Element and the color it caused until I was back to full.

"Now that you're all replenished, let us get back to business," the Paladin declared. "Those bottles on the table, the five of them? Shoot them down with your Fireballs. Do keep them small, and cast only once if you can manage." I did my best to oblige, bringing forth the burning orbs in question and, with practiced precision, rapidly took each one out. I ended up casting twice, as I had missed a couple of times. "Your accuracy has been noted. We will have to work on that in the future, but for now it's a start. Your power as well, which I must admit is astounding for your age and Level, if a bit lacking for a Paladin. Now, there were seeds in those bottles; I want to see it you can grow them with your Healing. Draw your blade and aim at the seeds, then focus your Healing through the sword and towards the seeds."

I complied, drawing my Healing Sword and aiming the tip at the seeds in the broken piles of glass. If they weren't already dead, they would grow quickly, and if they were dead… I just hoped that they could be saved. I cast the third tier of Healer and focused on the seeds, letting the sword extend my range. Five streams of green energy whipped around like tendrils from the tip of my blade before homing in on their targets and racing forth like hawks after prey. The streams connected and began pumping Life into the seeds, but I sensed something off about them. Something which really confused me for a few moments before I realized that the seeds were moving. No, not moving, rather they were floating. These weren't any seeds I've ever heard of, ones that fly.

I watched with awe as the five separate seeds grew from seed to shoot in a few short moments. They were rose seeds, black ones at that; supposedly impossible to grow in any conditions other than what they were used to, and here I had just grown them in a few minutes. It took a few moments to register the significance of my accomplishment, even longer to realize that they weren't just growing.

"Impressive," Magnus admitted. "You at least have potency on your side, I'll give you that. Maybe you will become a Life Paladin someday." For some reason, I doubted that sentiment given my Skills with Fire. "Now that that's out of the way, stop giving them Life. I want to show you something about Fire before we continue." Confused, I obliged.

Without missing a beat, and to my utter horror, Magnus raised his hand and with a single snap burned the poor plants to an unrecognizable pile of ash. I was completely shocked at this show of brutality. These were rare plants that required special attention, and he just scorched them to cinders. What's more, I could hear the poor things crying out in pain, felt their death throes, saw the Life within them get burned to nothingness. I was dismayed, shocked at the destruction he just caused.

"Fire is far more dangerous than you realize, young man," Magnus explained. "It is relentless when it destroys, hungry when it feeds, and uncaring for what or who it burns. Remember this during our training and reign in your blaze, else _that_ will be the fate which befalls you, and not by my hands either."

I shivered violently, still affected by that violent display. A good lesson that may have been, and grateful I may be for it, but I was still shaken by the brutality. Magnus requested for me to cast Flamethrower, and we continued with our 'training', but I couldn't get that out of my mind. Is this what my father could perform, this kind of terrible power?

Flame Embodiment, Basalt Skin, Flame Pulse II, Sulfur Blast, Flame Dispel, Meteoric Punch, Root Punch, Flame Wing, and Pyre were a few of the things I worked with today, and by the end of it all I was hammering a small dagger out while cooking a fresh salmon and some wild boar bacon. I actually sort of got revenge for burning those plants by casting Sulfur Blast under Magnus's feet at his request. He said it would help me get my mind off of things, which it kind of didn't but he's also kind of brutal as it is. Especially with making me use a Medium Fireball at the hog. At least I got to keep the tusks and hide, even if I didn't know what to use them for just yet.

Supper was quiet, even compared to my silence after the funeral. Magnus asked me to speak with him after supper, a request which I was reluctant to oblige but did so out of respect for the man. Minor opened his mail before he even finished eating, excitedly excusing himself from the table and rushing down his hallway to his room. I had no idea what it was about but knew better than to press into someone else's life. When Minor returned to the table, he suddenly went into a happy rant about his girlfriend anyways. Her name was Cinder, which I would actually expect of Magnus's lover. She was apparently an incredibly powerful Fire Mage, even though they were close in age and Level. I learned more about that woman than I would want to know about my own girlfriend… not that I even have one.

* * *

After supper, I followed Magnus out to the patio on which we trained. This made me both concerned and despise the man just a little more. What I saw was him silently playing with the ashes of the flowers he burned. What really surprised me was the sad expression on his face as he stared at the ashes. I was the first to break the silence, remaining polite while still not liking him.

"You wanted to see me," I spoke, bringing his attention to me. His expression never changed, nor did his playing with the ash. This was really odd behavior for a man who so coldly scorched five rare, precious flowers in front of a boy who just gave them life. Magnus nodded in response to me.

"I did, and I'm glad you came," he said. "Given your display of kindness towards the Nymph earlier, I wouldn't be surprised if you despise me for so callously burning rare, delicate… Living flowers which you had just raised from seeds mere moments before."

"I know, it was to teach me a lesson, even if I already knew it," I sighed. "Look, I still respect you, but what you did kinda set me on edge."

"I know, but I wanted to teach you a different lesson than what I said," he replied. This caught me slightly off guard. A different lesson? What in the world did he want to teach me if not the danger of fire? I waited for him to elaborate. "I know you understand the power of Fire, given that you use it with Life with minimal danger to yourself; however, I noticed that while you were raising these roses your Fire was trying to seep in. You were unaware of it at the time, but that is the largest reason why the seeds survived your Fireballs: Life had formed a sort of barrier around them as the Fire destroyed the glass, something you didn't realize was happening."

He was absolutely right about that, I didn't realize that my Elements had tried to mix. Compatible they may be, but other things like living beings might not accept the Elemental combination. I was honestly horrified by the fact that, at any point while I was healing those plants, I could have just as easily burned them like Magnus did with no way to stop the inferno.

"I apologize for my display earlier, I truly do, but you needed to be aware of the consequences," he continued. "Not all flames are destructive like what I showed you, but most of them are not as gentle as you make them within you. If you would like, I can show you a way to safely combine them while casting any of your current spells without harming anything. If that is not something you desire, I can teach you to keep them separate."

With that, he raised his hand gently, and my mind was immediately blown as the damage to the roses was undone by none other than a harmonious marriage of Fire and Life. My mind was too blown to realize that he had gently taken the roses and brought them with him to a planter. He took a garden shovel and began to dig holes of loose dirt in which to plant the beautiful flowers given new life. He motioned for me to come to him, presumably to help him plant the roses, and I couldn't help but oblige. Where and when did he learn to pull off something like that?

"Jaune, I want you to do a couple of things for me," Magnus said as we planted the flowers. My eyes rose to meet his orange ones. There was something off about them, but I wasn't quite sure how. "I want you to think about what happened today, and consider how it may affect your life learning one or the other. Next week I want a decision on which one, but you only have one chance to decide." One _chance_ to decide, meaning I could potentially learn both if I asked nicely. "The other thing is, my brother and his love have yet to learn of my… abilities, and I would like to keep it that way. My own lover, my own teacher, and you are the only ones who know of this. Can you keep it a secret from my sibling?"

"Yeah, I will," I answered. "I actually might need a bit of time to register it all, to be honest, but I'll keep quiet about it."

"Many thanks," Magnus said with a smile. "I do appreciate this."

We finished planting and watering the roses and, after quickly washing our hands to hide the incident, came inside. We had a bit of a social conversation with each other before I headed home for the evening, with Minor holding up most of the conversation while Magnus and I listened to his tales about his love life and his girlfriend.

Needless to say, I got a fair bit of sleep that night. Tomorrow, I would not be so lucky. Actually, tomorrow I would just plain be beaten senseless.

* * *

I panted heavily as I rested on my Healing Sword, holding myself up on a shaky arm. My Endurance has reached its limits and then some from the endless pains of training. Apparently, Minor decided that my stats were less than desirable and like any good Knight decided to rectify this by training me relentlessly until I was barely alive, then training me some more. The most I had learned by the end of the day was just how badly I need to improve. However, there was some benefit to this, as I could practically guarantee that my stats will rise like a tree once I am fully healed. That may take some time though, as the only stats that haven't been affected is my Resistance, and even that has been bumped down from the wear and tear on my body.

My armor/clothes were spared the carnage, but in hindsight they would have helped little. Minor's Piercing Blade managed to blast my skin to what equates to a tenderized cut of steak, and I'm considering myself lucky that he was holding back as far as he is. Hopefully my Resistance and Tolerance will rise as much as they fell, as will my other stats as he assured me. My Intelligence and Social were unspared, as he did his best to bring them down so I could build back up stronger. How was my Social affected? Well, he pushed me to use my Burning Wrath several times during the fight, attempted to bring the Parasite to the surface, spurred me into fits of rage, and in general kicked my flayed skin into what it is now. Aside from how weak I am and his true Class being Grand Knight, I learned nothing in that fight.

So here I am, struggling to stand as Magnus waits impatiently by the rest of my gear. His part of the training may end up a little less brutal… I hope. I swallowed at the idea of getting pummeled by both brothers, sending a silent prayer to the heavens that it wouldn't end up like that. I was barely walking, beaten to a pulp, exhausted beyond my limitations, and aching like I had just stepped casually into a Mastodon stampede. I had to hobble over to him like an old man, using my Healing Sword like a cane until I could sit down and put it in its sheath.

After about two minutes of waddling and adjusting my weapon so I could walk, I managed to fall into the chair with a grunt, collapsing like a bag of rocks. I was absolutely exhausted, well past spent, and wheezing with every breath I took. I saw water on the table before me and weakly reached to take it when Magnus offered. I had a poor grip on the glass, but it never dropped since I used both hands. I haven't been this weak since I was seven, and I don't think I've ever felt as absolutely shredded in a very long time.

"Training isn't over quite yet, you know," Magnus mentioned. I didn't have enough energy to nod, only drink the cool, refreshing water. My body felt like it was on fire, on the inside _and_ the outside. "I'll give you five minutes to recover, then I'll patch you up so you won't bleed and we can continue training."

I drained the glass, taking every drop of water down my throat, sore from screaming as much as I did. I managed to set the glass on the table without dropping it, nodding to Magnus thankfully. He nodded back as the minutes passed by. I felt my Endurance return to full capacity, slowly building itself up to compensate for its intense usage for the twelfth time today. My other stats would build back up slowly as my body healed and recovered.

"Hmm, Minor really beat the tar out of you, didn't he," Magnus asked rhetorically. "Your Strength stat was well over sixty this morning, but now it's barely over a dozen. Hell, your base Armor took just as much of a beating. Twenty-four this morning, two right now." I knew that he was using a Skill or Ability, but my mind wasn't keeping track of information right now.

The five minutes passed. Magnus took out a roll of gauze and began dressing my battered flesh with alcohol and the gauze wrap. I tried not to scream, but I doubt I even could have if I'd wanted to. I was in bad shape, I'm not gonna lie. It took about thirty minutes for Magnus to finish dressing my wounds, and even then all I had back was my Endurance and half of my Strategic Intelligence. Well, at least Magnus rubbed some ointment on the gauze before applying the wrap. I should be close to peak condition tomorrow, back to where I was by lunchtime tomorrow. I wonder how high my stats will rise.

"Right, now let us train," Magnus said with a smile. "I want to expand your Maga and Elemental Resistance, your Intelligence and Wisdom as well if possible. So before you is a number of Dust crystals, some of which are reactive; I want you to tag each reactive one, move each dangerous one away from you, and absorb the rest. Some of the crystals will not contain an Element, but rather Maga under the guise of an Element. I know which one is which, but you will have to figure it all out. They are in the box, begin when you are ready."

I could only give him a 'really' look, attempting to move one of my arms. Neither one of them rose above my shoulder, unable to bend past a 135 degree angle. Not that they were tightly bound - although the wraps were a bit constraining - but they were not moving very far for a few hours in the best case scenario. He took a moment to realize his minor lapse in judgement. When he did though, his face reminded me of Dad's when he realized he screwed up somewhere: eyes staring up, frown marking his face, brow scrunched in annoyance with himself, and head slightly tilted up and to the right. I chuckled weakly, voice sounding more like a squeaky toy with a broken part.

"Right, you're not quite able to yet," Magnus reminded himself. "I'll have a chat with Minor about his 'training tactics' tonight. _Tomorrow_, we will work on that Maga and Elemental training. *sigh* We may end up alternating days of training if this persists."

Dinner came quickly after that, and I was able to move my arms enough to eat at this point. My Endurance had stopped rising at 72, and my Tolerance was starting to climb back up as well. My Strength rose a little bit, not enough to do much more with but certainly enough to walk and eat with minimal effort. The other stats were rising much more slowly, something I had a feeling would be a thing until my Strength and Tolerance were back to full capacity. What had really risen was my XP - parrying nearly three hundred times really kicked that off to a serious head start at 75 XP, plus all of the attacks I had to pull off got me another 35, learning to dodge more smoothly yet another 15, and the dozen times I used my Burning Wrath Ability earned me roughly 22, 2 for each one after the first. Needless to say, I'm still pretty beat down but it wasn't for nothing. Let me try and think here… well, I guess I'm Level 21 now, with another 94.67 XP left over. I have a total of 790 XP to reach Level 22, meaning I probably wasn't going to gain many Levels between now and the end of my training. Especially if this keeps up. Good thing I have another Skill to get, right? I wonder how Cardin's doing.

_94.81 XP of 790 to Level 22… 6,547.61 XP taken from me… how long will this thievery last?_

* * *

The next day, I sat at the table with Magnus on the other end, numerous Dust crystals resting on the smooth wooden surface. I had Element Seeker active but remained unable to see which crystal held what energy. I was waiting for him to give the word so I could go a-looking, but he seemed busy with his brother at the moment. I was unsure if waiting for him was a test or not, but I was unwilling to test the patience of a superior Paladin for the sake of my own impatience. I had already been beaten senseless yesterday, I didn't need another go around.

I waited for thirty minutes until he waved for me to continue, but… something seemed off about it. Like I saw it but he didn't do it. I shook my head, thinking that Gary pulled something in my brain. As such, I passed the time by going over the current state of my stats. Gary didn't seem to mind this, and I couldn't sense either of my teachers doing something unusual, so I could only assume that I was doing the right thing in doing this.

So about my stats, things were going oddly quickly. The wounds all across my body were almost completely healed, yesterday being a centimeter wide in places while today they were all but red lines under bandages, moist with perspiration and ointment. As such, my Tolerance was back to where it was but not quite finished rising just yet. My Intelligence was back to normal when I woke up last night, rising very little compared to everything else. Strength was the next to rise, making it all the way up to Labor 22, Combat 40, Force 20, and Control 24, with the major stat rising from 64 to 75. My Immunity was mostly unaffected, but my Maga had to blast up to 63 to keep up with the strain of training. Because of what I was put through, my Social had taken a bit of a dip but rose back up with interest. Specifically, the major stat didn't rise whereas the sub-stats had shot up to Emotion 70 and Compassion 68 - yeah, Social was one of the most confusing stats out there.

Agility was also hit decently hard, but it also bounced back quite nicely. Speed 25, Balance and Flexibility 20, Agility up to 65. Pretty nicely done, if I do say so myself. Then we have my Resistance - oh, Resistance is the weird one. Magical shot right up to 60, Elemental rose a little as well, but Physical hasn't done any rising just yet, staying where it was at a meager 24. Worrisome, but not anything that bothers me completely. After all, I _am_ still healing - .

_**WHACK!**_ Check that, I _was_ still healing. Now I'm not even sitting, having been hit by a metal pipe of some kind across the face. My Physical Resistance took the hardest hit, being the lowest stat right now aside from parts of my Intelligence, and dropped yet again from 24 to 17. My Intelligence was next, going from 67 to 62 in that hit as my mind went blank momentarily, only to shoot back up when I eventually recovered. It was my Tolerance that made me feel it, as my head exploded with pain and agony from that singular strike. My head began to throb as I heard the two brothers begin arguing with vicious words and a silent scuffle between the two. I shed no tears, not really moving from my position on the floor either because of the confusion about what just happened.

What felt to me like minutes later, I was pulled up by two firm pairs of hands and set down on a recently righted chair before the table. Minor apologized for throwing the pipe that hit me, excusing himself by saying that Magnus dodged and put me at risk; Magnus stood his ground, stating that Minor shouldn't have thrown the pipe in the first place. I was literally too unfocused to realize that I was supposed to forgive either of them until about a minute after they apologized. That and they were acting like children again, which I find amusing because they were both older than Quartz.

"Well, now that apologies are out of the way," Magnus said. "Would you mind beginning your training? I will supervise you. Minor, would you please go and make some lunch for us while we do this?"

"Well can't your training wait," Minor demanded angrily.

"Can you wait to batter our apprentice bloody," Magnus returned. The brothers kept going at it like this for another hour while I went into the kitchen impatiently and made a basic lunch for us. By the time I was done almost an hour later and was ready to eat, they had finished their argument and were simply sitting across from each other at the cleared off table. Lunch was quiet and awkward, most likely because they were embarrassed by the fact that a boy half the age of Magnus had just acted more maturely than they did. A boy that was just hit across the head after being delayed for more than two hours, just made lunch, and had basically been mercilessly shredded only a day ago and should by all means be the one acting immaturely. Magnus reset the table after lunch as Minor tended to my wounds, old and new.

"Okay, I apologize for earlier," Magnus apologized. "Our actions and subsequent delay of your training was uncalled for, and I am deeply sorry for them. If you will accept my apology and forgive me, I will make up for it with our training."

"I accept your apology, and I forgive you," I answered. "I'll think about the same for Minor." Minor laughed sarcastically at that joke, muttering something about getting me back tomorrow. Magnus chuckled, tapping the table twice. He had told me to pay attention to that, so I did when he tapped the table.

"Then let us get started," Magnus declared. "Before you are Dust crystals of many kinds, some of which contain Maga made to look like Element, others holding Elements or combinations thereof which are toxic to that which you hold in you. Only a few hold within them the Elements which you can hold within your body and are accustomed to. It is your job to sort them out, absorbing the Maga and your Elements without taking in those with dangerous properties. Some of them are volatile as well, and as such you must be just as careful. This exercise in caution and focus may help you further discern the difference and properties of different Elements and Maga. Are you ready?" I nodded, staring at all of the crystals before me. "Then begin when you're ready."

I knew from prior experience that I wouldn't be able to use Element Seeker here, so I would have to go off of sight alone. Thing is, I couldn't tell one from another. They all had the same feel to them, despite the rainbow of colors. I knew what Life and Fire looked like, but I couldn't tell what the others were. Some of them looked like weak Fire and weak Life, and I figured that they were the real ones compared to the vibrant Maga variants, and decided to take one of the Life versions and tried to absorb the Element. Nothing happened, proving me further wrong when I tried to absorb Maga and succeeded, draining the crystal of energy. My Maga rose slightly, and I felt slightly better. There were Enchantments around the Maga itself to hold it in, changing its color and giving it different properties based on what it was supposed to represent. Luckily, I have experience with this sort of thing.

Next up was the Fire, which appeared like a golden orange crystal. I took it in my hands and recognized the energy immediately. It was indeed an Element, but why it was discolored was confusing to me. I decided to check it out and take in a small amount of the energy as a test. While it was a bit of a mistake, it gave me an idea on how to combine Elements. The Lightning Element, a combination of Fire and Air in a 1:2 ratio respectively and the most powerful variant of Fire when it comes to speed and total power. This one was almost perfectly combined, and gave me an idea on a new Spell to cast. An interesting prospect, but I would have to be careful. Too much of this and I might fry myself.

Lesson learned, I finished off the crystal and moved on to what I knew best: Fire and Life. I grabbed one most familiar to me, a red-orange gem, and cautiously opened the floodgates. Oh, that tricky man was skilled. This one was Lava, Earth and Fire in a 1:3 ratio specifically; luckily for me, it was compatible with both Fire and Life because of what it could do, making it safe for me to utilize. I saw a turquoise jewel and did the same with it. I got so lucky, as there was Water right at the very depths of the gem, the rest being Life. This was going to be so tricky, so tricky that I would have to be incredibly careful.

* * *

_One hour later_…

I set down the last crystal, having fully drained it. Most of the crystals I ended up separating into Lava, Lightning, Fire, and Life, keeping the last of the Element in the crystal until I was finished like Magnus told me to. My Maga had to expand to 71 to hold all of the energy inside of me, just as my Elemental Resistance needed to expand from 65 to 73. My Wisdom jumped up to 40, as I had to be cautious. Still, I now had two new toys to play with when I have the chance.

"I take it you enjoyed this exercise in caution," Magnus asked me, fingers folded in front of him. I couldn't help but nod. "I thought so. I must say, I didn't expect you to come up with a strategy so quickly. And being so courageous as to absorb Lightning and Lava when you hold Life within you? Surely you must have a plan for that?"

"Well, I _do_ have an idea for a Spell or two," I admitted. "And I do have a Skill I can use, so… maybe?" Magnus chuckled.

"Perhaps we can learn of it together," he decided. I had to agree there. "Strict Lightning Bolt or a combination?"

"I'm thinking both," I admitted. "Who knows, maybe I can use it? Same with Lava, maybe I can do something tricky with it? I dunno, I'll have to go looking." Magnus nodded.

"Clear the table," Minor exclaimed. "Hot pot coming through!" I moved to take them, but Magnus made them levitate with some of his Element. My jaw dropped upon seeing this. The gems all floated to their box, where they were arranged by the Element under Magnus's control and placed gently in the box. Minor quickly set the pot down on the table, specifically in the wool-lined crevice made to hold such a pot. Few tables had built-in potholders, but the ones that did were either really cool or really ugly, and this one was rare and fell somewhere in between. Minor exhaled dramatically, wiping his brow.

"Heavy," Magnus asked. Minor glared at the Fire Paladin across from me.

"Hilarious," Minor responded. "Let us eat."

"Ut-uh," Magnus stopped his brother from serving bowls. "We bless the food first."

"But I already - ."

"We," Magnus interrupted. Minor went silent rapidly. "We. Bless. The food. First. As always, brother. Or have you already forgotten what our mother and father taught?" Minor had the look of an angry toddler on his face as he sat down angrily and clapped his hands together. "That's better. Jaune, would you care to join us? It's an old family custom based on a religion that's fallen out of favor with the general populace, so I wouldn't be upset if you didn't."

"Yes you would," Minor argued.

"Shut up," Magnus growled.

"You most certainly would," Minor continued.

"Do you want a repeat of earlier," Magnus snapped. Minor went quiet again. "Thank you, brother. Jaune? It's your choice." Well, I was curious about what they did before meals, so why the heck not? I can always step out if I don't like it, but who says I won't?

"Show me the ropes," I said with a shrug. Magnus smiled happily, whereas Minor rolled his eyes with a groan. Magnus told me that they usually folded their hands - putting their hands flat together and wrapping their thumbs around each other - and closed their eyes while they did, and so I joined in. Magnus explained that usually the head of the table or the oldest person present said a small prayer to bless the food before they actually served the meal. As he said, it was an incredibly old custom that's fallen out of favor with the public. I didn't mind, having experienced an old custom myself.

"Bless we this food, Allfather, so bless thee this body we pray," Magnus prayed. I heard motion, daring to peel an eyelid open to see what Minor was doing. He was 'just shifting uncomfortably', meaning he was trying to be silent about serving himself up. Was he just this impatient? "Many thanks, Father. _Now_ we may be served, _Minor_."

"I thought you were done," Minor argued. Magnus rolled his eyes.

"As you excuse yourself of your impatience," the elder brother returned. Minor scoffed angrily.

"And you have any say in the matter," the younger growled. "So what if I have grown impatient? I have better things to do than deal with an old, dying god." This silenced Magnus, and Minor served us the meal: poor man's soup. And even though as we ate Minor spoke, the table was silent. I had little to say, and Magnus was deeply hurt by the words spoken by his brother. The older brother seemed less interested in his food now, but finished his bowl anyways. The younger refilled his bowl for a second helping. I got a half of a second helping, if only to make sure that my healing would be complete.

That evening, as we were finishing things in their house before I returned home for the day, we heard a loud whistle. The door whistle, a steam pipe with a button to open a valve so that it would whistle, had gone off. Magnus solemnly said he would answer the door and went off. He spent very little time there, as the door opened and he got tackled by a young woman with wavy brown hair, well-tanned skin, and purple eyes. She kissed him on his face several times, arms wrapped around his neck as he carried her by the waist to the foyer. Magnus introduced me to his fiance, Atlanta, and proceeded to explain to me that they were days from being wedded. I couldn't help but feel happy for the couple. A bright light in a dark time for me.

* * *

_4 months later…_

I swung upwards with my Healing Sword, which was now a Tier II weapon. Minor swiftly brought his Great Shield up to block, maybe even counter, but he was almost immediately forced to cower behind it so as to avoid my Fire Sword, which had also received the Tier II treatment. He had taught me the Dual Wielding Skill about a month ago, training me mercilessly to master it. My only problem now was my Strength, Speed, and other necessary stats, but otherwise I could pretty easily beat him. Actually, I was at the point where I could outlast him if he went easy on me, which really annoyed him to no end.

I enhanced both of my weapons with Lightning, making them strong enough to stun even Minor, after he pushed me back with his shield. I jumped and twisted, turning into a circular saw of sorts, and waited until I could see him where I looked and not in my peripherals. When I did, I flung my sword closest to him right at his feet, hurling the other just past him. I landed a couple of meters back, charging my body with Lightning. My blue-grey eyes had golden stripes in them now, and my mostly dark golden hair was sparking with the energy I had brought to power in my body. Gary the Parasite did not like this, but he was slowly getting resistant to some of my Elements such as Lava and Lightning. I was slowly learning how to use Steam, which was kind of difficult as a weapon but perfect as a smokescreen or a combination attack. I had also managed to find a way to use Life as a trap, which involved forming a brick of peat moss and some dried bark with an ember of Fire on the bark. If enough time is delayed, I can make an escape beyond the scope of the 15-meter fireball that would go off in a few seconds. Sneaky but well done. I could do the same with the Steam Element, but I haven't figured that out yet.

I digress, Minor noticed what I had done and cockily assumed that my Lightning should have struck him already and simply prepared himself to strike me back if I should charge for either of my blades, forgetting that I could use Blade Summon. I smirked, charging one of my lesser Lightning Bolt Spells and let it loose towards my Healing Sword II, the closest blade to me. This way he wouldn't think I was going for him and step out of the firing line. The bolt hit the blade, further charging it with electricity.

"Seems you missed," Minor commented. "You should work on that."

"I didn't miss," I said, charging another Lightning Bolt and sending it towards the Healing Sword II. This time, the blade had enough energy stored up that it searched for the nearest charged object to strike. It found a source, another Tier II blade in the form of its sister sword, and attempted to share its energy. The energy had to go through a living being first, but once the connection was made there was no stopping the carnage. The Lightning Bolts struck Minor simultaneously, stunning him as he stood. I made sure that the energy was out of the blades before I summoned them again, having made that mistake before, and charged forth towards Minor. The teacher, the Grand Knight, was unable to protect himself against the attack, and I held both blades at his neck. Minor noticed this advantage and paused, taking a minute to breathe before he closed his eyes and exhaled.

"Well done, you beat me," Minor admitted. "Seems I wasn't growing quite quick enough to keep up with you, was I?"

"Did you teach me what you wanted to," I asked. He shook his head.

"No, I was getting you warmed up to learn," he replied. "I wanted to make sure that you could learn the toughest Skills right now and be strong enough to use them. You won't be of course, but I think it makes my job a little easier. Especially since I'm only here to teach you the nitty-gritty before you start learning Paladin things."

"True, but you _were_ only using Skills he could keep up with," Magnus mentioned, walking up to us with his wife next to him, arm around her waist. "Also, it seems his stats are roughly where they should be for a young Paladin. Right where he needs to be."

"Great," Minor grunted, rising to his full height through the electric discharge. "Then maybe _you_ can start his strength training. I could make do with teaching him to fight like a Knight."

"But he's not a Knight," Magnus mentioned jokingly. Minor glared at his brother. He kept quiet for a moment, thinking of a comeback. He found no good ones, evidently.

"Go bed your wife," Minor growled sourly.

"Done," Atlanta giggled. Minor stared at her for a moment, sizing her up and eyeing her up and down. "It was our honeymoon."

"You'll get your turn," Magnus said calmly. "Both of you. And _you_ can wait for the bedding of any woman, young Jaune Arc."

"Can you please call me by something else," I whined. "I'm already as strong as the average Knight, can't you give me a nickname like yours?"

"Are you where a Paladin should be," Magnus asked. I sighed, shaking my head. "You'll find your time someday, Jaune, I assure you this. If your father taught me one thing, it was that." That revelation hit me hard when it came, but I've accepted it at this point. Magnus was pretty much my uncle, having been taught by my father at one point in his life. Funny thing about fate, it can have a sick sense of humor sometimes.

"I know, I'm just a little excited about my recent victory is all," I sighed. Minor smiled dangerously.

"You're going to say that less and less now that you're where I want you," the younger brother threatened. "Rest assured, you will still improve, just not in the way you might think. Starting tomorrow." I swallowed.

"Anyways, let's check your improvement," Magnus said. "We did say we would check when you finally beat Minor, and here you are."

I followed them to the Token Mirror, one with a golden trim. This one in particular is an Advanced Token Mirror, made to spew the specifics of a person's stats when they touch it and show the broad stats of whoever looks at themselves in it. I touch the mirror, and the readout is as follows:

**Jaune Arc (14)**

**Level 21 Paladin (undecided allegiance)**

**Passive XP: 0.16 per day**

**XP to Level 22: 327.51 of 790**

**XP Taken by Gary: 6816.91 XP**

**Base Armor: 52**

**Stats**

**Strength: 104 (Labor 45, Combat 83, Force 44, Control 56), Intelligence: 98 (Wisdom 57, Intelligence 54, Technical 28, Strategy 46), Constitution: 119 (Immunity 90, Endurance 120, Tolerance 112, Maga 156), Agility: 139 (Balance 45, Flexibility 48, Speed 46), Social: 101 (Emotion 97, Compassion 99), Resistance: 158 (Physical 158, Magical 156, Elemental 155)**

**Equipment**

**Undershirt (Comfortable), Keratin-Leather Vest (Armor 16, Weight 1, Movement 0.15), Denim Jeans (Armor 8, Weight 0.5, Movement 0.15), Keratin-Leather Boots (Armor 8, Weight 0.5, Movement 0.05), Leather-Padded Denim Jacket (Armor 12, Weight 0.5, Movement 0.25), Healing Sword II (Piercing 12, Weight 2, Sturdiness 12, heals wielder passively), Fire Sword II (Piercing 14, Weight 2, Sturdiness 12, increases effectiveness of Fire attacks by 65%, inflicts Burning debuff on targets with less than 50 Elemental Resistance)**

**Total Armor: 63**

**Abilities**

**Element Seeker, Burning Wrath**

**Skills**

**Nature's Eye, Dust Acquisition, Fishing III, Hunting III, Survival III, Cooking II (Self-Taught), Metalworking II, Weapons Basics III, Unarmed Combat IV, Avoidance, Reflex, Elemental Knowledge VI, Living Fireball III, Living Flame Pulse III, Flamethrower II, Flame Dispel, Flame Wings, Flame Embodiment, Meteoric Punch, Sulfur Blast, Pyre, Basalt Skin, Fire Efficiency, Healer III, Root Punch, Cedar Oak, Sturdy Roots, Forest Camouflage, Peat Bomb, Life Efficiency, Lightning Bolt II, Stats, Pathfinder, Elemental Summon, Seeker (Self-Taught), Rapid Fire, Blade Summon (Self-Taught), Culture I**

**Buffs**

**Weakness, Second Opinion, XP Drain, Symbiotic Binds, Nature's Grace, Comfortable, Puberty, Recent Tragedy, Training (Jaune is improving rapidly under specialized tutelage and is more receptive to new Skills and stats increases which come from his mentors), Recent Happiness (Jaune went to 2 weddings, one of which was family; he is incredibly happy, Emotional, Social, and Compassion effectiveness is doubled)**

**Class Buffs: Healing Aura, Defensive Aura**

I can't say I'm surprised, but those stats though. And the library of Skills, but they're bound to compile at some point I'm sure. I'm actually better than what my father was in some areas, and I'm only Level 21…. Now that I think about it, that's actually pretty upsetting. I mean, the fact is great, not gonna lie, but… it would be so much better if he were here with me. It's been six months since then and my birthday.

"Well done, you have improved immensely," Magnus admitted. "However, I would like to show you what you could be, given a bit more training." He touched the mirror and I was blown away by what I saw:

**Zachary Carter, Magnus Regulus (28)**

**Level 50 Fire Paladin**

**Passive XP: 1 per day**

**XP to Level 51: 155 of 2335**

**Base Armor: 208**

**Stats**

**Strength: 521 (Labor 105, Combat 195, Force 150, Control 220), Intelligence: 493 (Wisdom 150, Intelligence 109, Technical 38, Strategy 135), Constitution: 476 (Immunity 98, Endurance 645, Tolerance 577, Maga 586), Agility: (Balance , Flexibility , Speed ), Social: 137 (Emotion 387, Compassion 345), Resistance: 575 (Physical 575, Magical 516, Elemental 533)**

**Total Armor: 338**

I skipped the more personal information such as Skills, Abilities, and Buffs, as I didn't want to press into what he might not want going public. Besides, the Skills list had to say Library because of everything he had, and Buffs amounted to being married, his class buffs, and a couple of others. His Abilities were numerous compared to mine, although that might not be for long given my rate of progress. If I wasn't careful, I could Stagnate, which was a very bad thing for a youth of my age and Class.

"How did you get this high," I asked. "I mean, Dad wasn't there when he was around."

"Well, I was present around the time when he got the diagnosis," Magnus answered. "He was caught in the middle of training, told he had Stagnated and was later diagnosed with Veterancy Atrophy. Eventually, my stats reached about 250 across the board, which was when I was around 13 and a Knight rather than a Paladin. He was at the same point as I was, but he could still teach me the Skills I needed. Just couldn't get me to where I needed to be to learn them. By the time I was 18 and a Paladin, my stats at about 400 average, he had dropped to a little over a hundred save for Social. I'm guessing that by his death he was barely holding out at 60 or so?" I nodded. "Then that would unfortunately explain his weakness in his final fight. When we were first training, he was close to a thousand in some areas, just over in others." If my jaw wasn't already in the ground earlier, it is certainly breaking through the other side of the world by now. My father had reached that point before I was born?

"Back on topic, don't you have a thing you should be doing," Minor asked impatiently. "Such as, perhaps, training?"

"Yes, I and Atlanta will be training him together today," Magnus answered. Minor seemed only slightly upset about this.

"Yet again you bring your precious bride into this," Minor grumbled. "Must you always let others in on things wherein they do not belong?"

"No one speaks like that anymore, Minor," Magnus complained playfully. "Even if it does sound sophisticated and entertaining."

"Were it only more common," Minor muttered as he left to his part of their house. It disturbed me, how much that sounded like some classical villain in a modern play.

"Well then," Magnus commented. "Someone's having fun in the other room." While I had no clue what that meant, I could only assume it applied here. "Anyways, let us get to that training, shall we? Rising from simple Spells to more advanced arts and all that?" I nodded.

I was more than excited for this, maybe a little _too_ excited. Sure, learning things was great and all, but it wasn't worth an explosion the size of a small shed. Oops. I'll be fixing that tomorrow, I'm sure.

**End**

* * *

**A/N: Sorry for the wait. Got distr****acted again, no excuse this time. I just sucked again for a moment there. Also, I had a part in there that I wanted to include but decided against in an effort to save myself some brainpower and you guys time in your days to read this. Besides, the training montage has a bit of a ways to go before it even comes close to ending. I may need some extra time to get back into the groove of things, but I'm not giving up on this story. Just need to pull my head off of the shelf and the keyboard out of the shed.**

**In other news, I saw a whole playthrough of Kingdom Hearts 3, specifically that of TetraNinja. I will do my best not to let out an enraged scream at all of my favorite franchises digging holes and jumping in, but at least Square and Disney jumped into a rabbit hole rather than a grave. I can give them the benefit of the doubt in that the game hit some good notes where it hit them, but the potholes (and few plot holes) weren't quite worth a decade's wait. Then again, I really have zero room to talk here.**

**Regardless, the most recent chapter has arrived. Again, I apologize for the wait. I really shouldn't be making my community wait, small and supporting as you guys are. Yet again, I truly appreciate the support you guys have been giving me, and I do intend to deliver incredible content for you. I will do my absolute best to make sure that I don't delay like that again. Thank you all for your support, sticking with me and my quirky nature and upload schedule, and even so much as viewing this. I truly and honestly appreciate it.**

**Now, I **_**must**_ **get on with writing the next chapter. So, as I always say, this is General Texas, signing out.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Before we get started, I want to say that I started writing this literally a minute after I posted that last chapter. I actually had a bit of story already written out from last time that I wanted to put here but in uploading last chapter I kinda got rid of the cut part entirely. Oops.**

**So… news happened. Yeah, we'll just say that. I mean, there was the New Zealand thing (keeping it PG, my condolences for those affected by it), there was March Madness, there was the Super Bowl I think. I even realized that Kingdom Hearts 3 came out, in case no one remembers from last chapter. But let's not dwell on the dark side for too long.**

**In terms of reviews, merendinoemiliano informed me in a roundabout way that some of the stats are a bit confusing. Specifically, the confusion boils down to the difference between Element and Maga, which makes sense because I haven't gone too in depth on the difference just yet. As such, allow me to explain: Element is the ability to contain the pure energy found in certain materials, such as Earth, Fire, Water, et cetera; Maga, on the other hand, is the energy necessary to direct, control, form, or otherwise manipulate Element in the form of Spells, which I will get to in this chapter or next. The use of both is not fully necessary for all Spells (i.e. Silence, Fireball, Lightning Bolt), but sometimes both Maga and Element will be required to fully utilize a Spell. Long story short, Element is found in everything and gives it structure, whereas Maga is just a Human/Faunus thing.**

**Yet another thing to note is why Jaune's stats dropped like bricks when Minor was training him. The biggest reason why is because Jaune was so sore and beat up after that session that he really **_**couldn't**_ **use his stats where they were, and his body had to repair itself over time. That's why his stats went from 60 to 10 or less. Granted that's not always how it works, but in his case it was because Minor just tore into him. As for his father, the man stagnated at some point, and he hit a serious regression streak that lasted 20 years. That's why Jaune is now ahead of where his father was in the first chapter. As for his mother… no excuse, I just didn't think that far ahead. May have to edit that part at a later date.**

**Ladies, Gentlemen, and otherwise, may I present to you all chapter Lucky Number Seven. Do enjoy yourselves after this boring but necessary disclaimer.**

* * *

_**The author holds no rights to the Gamer webcomic, the RWBY anime, or any related official works. I don't even technically own the phone I'm using to write this (yet). I actually just own the headphones I'm using. Pretty knifty ones, if I do say so myself. Tangent over, storytime!**_

* * *

**Jaune Arc (14)**

**Level 21 Paladin, unaligned**

**Passive XP: 0.16 XP per day**

**XP to Level 22: 327.67 of 790**

**XP taken by Gary: 6817.15**

**Base Armor: 52**

**Stats**

**Strength: 104 (Labor 45, Combat 83, Force 44, Control 56), Intelligence: 98 (Wisdom 57, Intelligence 54, Technical 28, Strategy 46), Constitution: 119 (Immunity 90, Endurance 120, Tolerance 112, Maga 156), Agility: 139 (Balance 45, Flexibility 48, Speed 46), Social: 101 (Emotion 97, Compassion 99), Resistance: 158 (Physical 158, Magical 156, Elemental 155)**

**Equipment**

**Undershirt (Comfortable), Keratin-Leather Vest (Armor 16, Weight 1, Movement 0.15), Denim Jeans (Armor 8, Weight 0.5, Movement 0.15), Keratin-Leather Boots (Armor 8, Weight 0.5, Movement 0.05), Leather-Padded Denim Jacket (Armor 12, Weight 0.5, Movement 0.25), Healing Sword II (Piercing 12, Weight 2, Sturdiness 12, heals wielder passively), Fire Sword II (Piercing 14, Weight 2, Sturdiness 12, increases effectiveness of Fire attacks by 65%, inflicts Burning debuff on targets with less than 50 Elemental Resistance)**

**Total Armor: 63**

**Abilities**

**Element Seeker, Burning Wrath**

**Skills**

**Nature's Eye, Dust Acquisition, Fishing III, Hunting III, Survival III, Cooking II (Self-Taught), Metalworking II, Weapons Basics III, Unarmed Combat IV, Avoidance, Reflex, Elemental Knowledge VI, Living Fireball III, Living Flame Pulse III, Flamethrower II, Flame Dispel, Flame Wings, Flame Embodiment, Meteoric Punch, Sulfur Blast, Pyre, Basalt Skin, Fire Efficiency, Healer III, Root Punch, Cedar Oak, Sturdy Roots, Forest Camouflage, Peat Bomb, Life Efficiency, Lightning Bolt II, Maga Efficiency, Stats, Pathfinder, Elemental Summon, Seeker (Self-Taught), Rapid Fire, Blade Summon (Self-Taught), Culture I**

**Buffs**

**Weakness, Second Opinion, XP Drain, Symbiotic Binds, Nature's Grace, Comfortable, Puberty, Recent Tragedy, Training (Jaune is improving rapidly under specialized tutelage and is more receptive to new Skills and stats increases which come from his mentors), Recent Happiness (Jaune went to 2 weddings, one of which was family; he is incredibly happy, Emotional, Social, and Compassion effectiveness is doubled)**

**Class Buffs: Healing Aura, Defensive Aura**

* * *

Minor's goal for his first day in teaching me was to improve my stance. He noticed that it was completely off in relation to my Class and Skills, and claimed that he needed to break me of that habit so that he could get me to where I needed to be. I apparently got lucky and had already broken out of the habit while he was tearing me a new one over the last few months. All he had to do was teach me the appropriate stances and I would be 'in fighting shape' as he said. He also mentioned something about field training, which sounds both like fun and not so much.

"Right foot to the left a touch," Minor ordered. I complied with his every order as I have with Magnus, correcting my mistakes to the best of my ability. "Not that far, back to the right. Now a little more forward… a little more… perfect. Now raise your swords. Not that high, aim at the enemy waistline. Good, now your left sword should point to your west a little more. Not like that, I… okay, say your right-hand sword is at 12-noon. Aim your left sword at roughly 10:30. Back a little more… stop, that's perfect. Bend your knees slightly, keep your back straight… nevermind, it doesn't work with two swords. Alright, that will do for now. Hold that position for five minutes, I'll call when the time comes."

I obeyed, proceeding to think about what happened yesterday to cause the shed to explode. See, Magnus and his wife were teaching me to use a kind of Spell known as Flame Missile, and I kind of accidentally put a bit too much force and Fire into it. Combine that with the fact that I don't usually let my Maga loose in controlled bursts as is required of most Intermediate Spells, and you can see why the Missile went ballistic. On the other hand, I know now why I get tired when using Fireballs: I use too much Maga in my Spells. Because of that little backyard blast, Atlanta instead chose to help me learn how to control my Maga. That particular process didn't quite stick well enough at first because I'm not her apprentice, but it eventually stick by around supper yesterday. However, today that happens to be unimportant. Today, Minor is showing me 'the most basic points of combat and sports', which may take less time than he anticipated. He already taught me an appropriate unarmed combat stance - which I combined with my knowledge of actual unarmed combat to make a much sturdier and more efficient version of previous combat knowledge - and a stance for when I only need or use one sword. He promised to teach me a fencing stance, a stance for use with daggers, a stance for stealth, a defence-oriented stance, and a proper stance for ranged combat after the ones he's already taught or is teaching me. 'The first stance is the base for any attack, defense, sport, or otherwise' as he said. He also told me that there is no one stance for any one Spell, as each one is different and requires different things of different people, so I should remain adaptable for Spells and certain Skills.

Five minutes passed, and Minor returned to me and told me to relax. 'At ease', he actually said. As he did with the other stance, he told me to stand as I usually might in a relaxed situation. Without much warning, he ordered me to snap to the 'Dual Stance' as he called it. I snapped to the form he taught me just now, nearly flawlessly. He told me to correct my minor mistakes, which I did, before telling me that a foe will not allow me to correct myself. We repeated this process until I had taken the form flawlessly seven times in a row, which took about just as many minutes.

In our break, Minor decided to go on a bit more about his girlfriend, much to my displeasure. He did as promised, telling me that he would teach me the basics on fencing later on just in case I ever needed to know. Regardless, he was pleased with me in that I had achieved much in learning my basics. I was uncomfortable for a few minutes as he ranted about his girlfriend until Magnus and Atlanta made their way to the outdoor patio to tell us that lunch was ready for us once we were done. Minor stated that he had a date with his girlfriend to go to before too much longer, claiming that he wouldn't be able to eat much if he wanted to go. Magnus tried to coax him into praying with us, but that only worked when he threatened Minor with an all-out brawl. Minor agreed unhappily, and he joined us in prayer for lunch.

After lunch, Minor had not returned from his date, and Magnus went on with teaching me the Flame Missile Spell. It would technically be my first Spell, but all of my previously learned Spells that were counted as Skills would be counted as Spells once I learned this one. With my new knowledge at my side, I prepared my first attempt of the day. I flooded my palms with Maga and Fire and formed a fireball between them before using a bit more Maga and Fire to send it hurtling off towards wherever Magnus told me to. Yet another Flame Missile that I didn't get right, because Flame Missiles are supposed to be controllable Fireballs and this one only exploded with more force. I started getting annoyed at this, but I kept my cool. I took a look at Magnus's Flame Missile and saw that it looked more like a short, thick burning spear than a ball of Fire. Maybe I needed to manipulate the Fire before I sent it off? I tried this, failing miserably until I thought about that shape as I poured Maga into the missile after a dozen failed attempts. I tried firing this one off in a specific direction, but it didn't go as directed. At least I knew how to shape it.

By 2:32, I was having to take a break to let my Maga recharge and absorb more Fire so I could continue. I was almost there, I could feel it. I could now make the missile spin when I told it to, but it wasn't going in any direction other than where I threw it. However, I had a feeling that I knew what to do. All it would take is a bit of Air and I could nail this one. Maybe shape the Fire to be denser closer to the head and tail, the tail more for propulsion than anything. The Air would be all at the tail so it could be propelled properly, and the Maga would surround the whole Missile to keep its shape. Yeah, this could work. Although I might need to give it some instructions, but how would I even begin?

The break came to an end, and I did as I believed was necessary. I tried telling the projectile to do as I wanted it to, how it should function, how it should behave, but it didn't seem to register this. At least, not until I picked a target. When I decided that it should fly towards the target set up for me, the Missile shot off faster than a broken piece of copper pipe on a steam dynamo. All of the Air and Fire exhausted themselves in less than a second, propelling the fiery form towards the intended target in just as much time. This time, as the Flame Missile struck the target, the canvas square had more to deal with than just a small amount of Fire and some Maga, as the projectile exploded on impact and sent the target - as well as myself and those who decided to come and see the spectacle - hurtling back from the shockwave that erupted from the unintended fireball. My ears were ringing from the blast, and it took me a few moments to recover and get up. I shook my head viciously to clear the dust and soot from my face so I could see more clearly the damage I had caused.

The blast had completely splintered the dummy, knocked down the wooden fence, caught the shed on fire _again_, lit the fire pit in the middle of the yard, and was still sending up its cloud shaped like a mushroom. Luckily, the uninvolved viewers were more disoriented by the explosion than knocked down, as they were already using various forms of water to extinguish the flames and a few Air-based Spells to disperse the smoke here on the ground. Still, I was not expecting these results, and my eyes were notably and expectedly wide. I could only imagine what it would be like if any of the spectators were any closer to the blast than the twenty meters that they were. It was then that I decided that any explosive Spells that I used would be limited in power and speed unless absolutely necessary, unused around any neutral or friendly parties unless I knew for a fact that they could take it.

Once a new canvas target was up and the spectators were in the stands, and now that I knew what to do, I was able to make a much less destructive variant of the monstrosity that I had caused just after my break. This one was more like a Fireball Spell, but one which you could control intensity, speed, and direction. Exactly like what Magnus told and taught me. While not terribly simple to understand, it made sense to me having put it into practice. It also made sense as to how Spells could and should be cast, now that I've properly learned one that requires some concentration as well as the copious amounts of Element I'm used to. Still, the massive explosion I had just caused was terrifying at best. I kept it in the back of my mind every time I created a Flame Missile, every time I let one loose on a target the massive blast played on in my vision, the intense power resonating in my chest each time a canvas square was destroyed or knocked over. Magnus and Atlanta had me practice the new Spell several times until I had it memorized, with each subsequent Missile granting me small amounts of XP and new ideas on how to better control the blast before I even let the Spell leave my hand. Heck, I even broken down a Missile before I sent it once just to see if I could do it. I was getting good with this, expanding my Maga control immensely as I did so, by the time Minor called out that dinner was ready about four hours after 'Devastator', as I called it, was launched. I couldn't help but wonder, in a fit of morbid curiosity, if it would be possible to make one of those but many times bigger. Further research may be in order, if only to find more reasons why I should control the Maga and Elements within me.

_Current XP: 370.83 of 790. XP to Gary: 6860.39. Training time: 4 months, 4 days._

* * *

The next morning, I was yet again training with Minor. This time, there was a surprise waiting for me: he had brought his girlfriend with him. With flowing raven hair reaching nearly the middle of her back, burning amber eyes, and fair skin that seemed to match her and yet didn't, she was just slightly taller than I was without her heels on. Her dress was a deep crimson with gold and black trim, only reaching just past her hips. She seemed skilled in the art of Fire manipulation, just as she was equally deadly with her combat skills. What really got me was her Level and Class just beneath her name. She was Cinder Fall, a Level 48 Fire Mage, and I continually questioned how she wasn't considered an Infernal Sorceress given the power and types of Spells she used most often. She was using Infernal Column to incinerate targets, Hellish Fireballs to vaporize imaginary targets, and Flame Pillars to hop around and fly in the air. I shuddered at the prospect of training with her so close by, as Mages of her calibre could usually see the abilities and afflictions of those around them. That meant she could see Gary, the assortment of Elements I carried, my low Level and youthfulness, my stats and Skills sets, and so on. I shivered at these thoughts, hoping that she wouldn't be here long. I was sorely mistaken.

Minor, in his first lesson, asked for Cinder to help him teach me how to properly dodge Spells, even deflect them if she were so inclined, in the various stances and with the numerous weapons he had once shown me how to use during the four months of Hell he put me through. He taught from the sidelines, correcting me and my movements as I made mistakes or needed to be taught while his girlfriend sent copious amounts of Infernal Spells my way. I got lucky, as through the onslaught I was quick to learn both my limitations and my ability to dodge. I was swift to pick up on small tricks that would help me predict when and where attacks were coming, and I used this to my advantage to avoid, block, or deflect Spells headed my way. This doubled as training against ranged attacks, so I did as much as I could without trying to sense where attacks would come from. This actually added to my Combat Skills repertoire, and I could feel the urge to learn more.

Going on a short tangent here, one can always tell when one Skill is one prerequisite of two or more of a more advanced Skill by the urge to learn more coming from deep within your mind. It differs for everyone, but to me it feels like a warmth in my gut just below my rib cage that lasts for a few minutes. These nudges never tell what the other prerequisites are, but they are good indicators of what comes next. My advice for when these things come up is to look into the source Skill, the Skill that causes the urge, and look into related topics. Those topics will give a broad sense of direction from which more Skills can be learned, more prerequisites scratched off the list, and more ideas on how to better use Skills recently learned. Libraries and Archives are excellent places to study up, but Tomes both used and new are just as great a source of knowledge.

I digress, Minor called us to a stop after about two hours of early morning training. Not to correct any mistakes or to punish anything, he assured me, but simply as a break to allow Cinder to replenish her Elements and Maga while I regained my stamina and relaxed. He complimented me on my quick learning, assuring me that if I continued to learn this quickly I would be a Master of the Knight Class in no time. Cinder too complimented my ability to adapt, telling me that she had to pick up the pace slightly in order to properly challenge me. I felt a slow rise in my Endurance stat, a tiny yet gradual increase in my XP as well. By the time the break was over, it would be at 124 with one more XP under my belt.

_With your rate of improvement, _I _could gain a Level by the time you reach 20 years of age_, Gary noted. _My other victims either ended themselves at my suggestion or refused to gain Levels in a vain attempt to starve me out. I must say, my Host, you are quite the gracious host to a humble beast such as I._

_If I could incinerate you right now, I would_, I warned the creature inside of me. _No thanks to your 'symbiosis', I have to live with you until I can survive killing you._

_But we could be so much more together_, the Parasite reassured me. _If you let me take over at least once, I can assure you that regret would be the one thing you wouldn't face._

_I'm already regretting letting you talk to me_, I replied. The Parasite simply chuckled at this comment and shut up after that. A good thing too, because this stupid bug keeps annoying me at the most inopportune moments.

"Alright, I would say five more minutes to recover before we continue," Minor declared. "Jaune, fair warning: we will be working you up as quickly as we can in both ranged and Spell defense, as Cinder here cannot stay in town for but a few more days and I know no one better to train you in this particular art. As such, your training will be difficult and rigid until you are capable of holding back a small barrage of intense Spells without too terribly much effort. And try not to rely on your armor, as it seems to be… quite lacking, to say the least."

"My dress protects me better than that would," Cinder claimed. While she might not be entirely wrong, her saying that definitely did not sit well with me. "I would recommend at the very least Spider Silk, Scaled Hyde, and Pressed Hyde for where you are. Also a change in style may be in your best interest. A jacket and jeans won't save you in a fight with a Minotaur, but full iron plate might."

"Not if I let it hit me," I replied honestly. I wasn't wrong, either; one of my instructors had told me about a friend of his who was too proud for his own wellbeing and did just that, only to end up having to find a new profession due to a severe injury that he never recovered from. In other words, I didn't plan on having heavy armor either now or in the near or distant future. Although now that she mentions it, an upgrade is in order.

"A fair point, but getting hit is bound to happen at one point or another," she mentioned. "It would be better to have at least semi-decent protection and get scratched than have normal clothes and get hit head on by an angry bull-man." A fair point.

"It would also be better to be quick and not get hit very hard or often than be slow and get knocked around by heavy hitters all the time," I argued. She nodded, accepting this point. "Besides, I _am_ still training. I won't be hunting Minotaurs any time soon." Another nod, another good point.

"She does bear a solid point," Magnus mentioned as he stepped out onto the patio with a newspaper and a cup of coffee. His wife followed him with a simple cup of tea, taking the seat next to him. "New armor, or at the very least better armor, is something you should be looking forward to in the future."

The break came to an end, and we were back out on the field and training within two minutes. Magnus spent his time with Atlanta, holding her hand and showing her affection. He rubbed her belly once, which I considered odd but decided not to even question until it becomes relevant. Cinder gave her an angry glare before lighting her hand up with Infernal Fire (4 Fire, 1 Lava). Minor rolled his shoulder and joined the fray this time, adding fuel to the fire. This was going to be challenging for me, wasn't it? Sure enough, it would be, as Magnus added his own pool of Spells and ranged attacks for me to deflect and avoid. While I was keeping up for a short time, I was quickly pressed to speed up and fortify my defenses as the barrage grew in intensity and velocity. In an effort to stay alive, I summoned my second sword and began blocking and deflecting more than I thought would even be necessary at the start of the day's exercise. This may have been a mistake, as the barrage only worsened on my summoning the second weapon. Even Gary was getting nervous, sometimes warning me about projectiles I was unaware of and other times enhancing my abilities temporarily so that I could avoid an assault that I couldn't avoid. I had no idea what had gotten into Minor and Cinder, but this was getting lethal. One slip up and I would be hit with enough force to turn me from a fourteen-year-old boy to a puddle of unrecognizable red goo and black ash.

_Pick up the pace,_ Gary demanded. I heaved and tried to do so, only to nearly get impaled with an arrow.

_I'm trying_, I barely thought as I spun both swords around quickly enough to destroy the Spells too close for comfort. I was getting desperate, scared, and tired rather quickly. _I might need you to take over if you can._

I'm _trying,_ the Parasite responded. _They're coming on too hot. I can only do so much here. Got any tricks we can use?_

_You're in my head, you figure it out_, I nearly growled aloud.

_Right, I forgot_. Great. Even the little devil in my chest was unable to find a way out. Maybe Magnus would help me? No, he would have intervened by now. Or his wife, maybe? No, second verse same as the first. So there's gotta be something I can do here to make this easier on myself. Only thing is, I can't focus enough to pull off a Spell, helpful as it may be. Maybe I have an Ability I can use? I was technically in combat right now, so maybe Burning Wrath could help me? But that took time to activate, and I would have to be relatively still… no time like now to learn how to use an Ability on the fly.

I kept my focus on the incoming onslaught, only allowing minor breaks to open the floodgates on my Maga and Element, letting each one flood my body. My skin took on a red hue, with cracks of orange appearing in the crevices of my flesh as the red energy of Fire coursed through my veins and enhanced my body. The Maga enhanced this energy, turning the red glow into a more stable orange colored burn. My combat slowly became easier, allowing me to more easily defend against this assault. It wasn't great, but it was certainly better than nothing. If I was correct, the effects of this would last around a minute and a half, giving me time to wear down Cinder and Minor at least in stamina. Since each attack blocked was giving me a little XP, I was quickly rising in that regard. Still, I was still slightly overwhelmed by this attack, which was bad given the context of the situation.

I felt myself getting more and more agitated as I burned through my emotional control, trying to keep myself from losing said control as the fight wore on. It was getting to the point where even Burning Wrath was getting overwhelmed, which wasn't good in this circumstance. I started getting frustrated with my two 'trainers', as they were going a little too crazy with their attacks. The flames inside of me grew more heated as my anger built up in my chest, culminating when my eyes felt warmer than usual.

"I've had _enough_," I finally shouted, letting loose a pulse of burning golden energy around myself which stopped the assault from even coming in range of my swords for a second before the golden orange barrier fell. This time, I had a much easier time defending myself, as my reaction times and attention span grew to an enormous height despite my emotional and Spellcasting abilities dropping close to zero. Time even seemed to slow down slightly as I began hacking down Infernal Fireballs and soft-tipped arrows alike. I even had enough space to do some introspection, allowing me to see what had just occurred. Turns out, this was an unseen power hidden within Burning Wrath that basically doubles my physical stats while reducing my Emotion to no more than ten and the Element I was holding down to just as little for the duration of the power boost, although the stats themselves remained unaffected. My Maga was also affected, though not quite to the same extent as my Emotion. Good to know, but not quite what I was expecting of losing my temper while using such an Ability. Then again, I _was_ running out of time using Burning Wrath itself, so maybe it's one of those timing things.

The barrage stopped before Burning Wrath could end, so I was safe from any unnecessary devastation. However, judging by the displeased looks on Minor and Cinder's faces, I couldn't help but feel like I was about to get the blunt end of the pipe wrench. Minor walked up to me, brow furrowed as usually happened when I screwed up big time, and came to a stop about a foot in front of me. I waited uncomfortably for some kind of punishment for about a minute before he finally opened his mouth.

"While I don't like you cheating, I will admit that you weren't in the wrong there," Minor sighed, confusing me. "To be honest, I - we - were being a bit too harsh with our little assault there. I have no excuse, I simply lost my temper with my brother there and wrongfully took it out on you. I pray you find it in you to forgive me, but don't expect me to stick around to hear it."

"I'm with him," Cinder butted in. I wasn't entirely shocked at this show of unpleasantness, but their whole attitude about it didn't sit well with me either. Gary, exhausted, had retracted his dark tendrils of control and retreated from my mind to rest up. I couldn't blame the Parasite, to be honest. That whole experience was exhausting, leaving some of my stats lower than they were previously. Luckily for me, my Endurance came back up in under an hour, as did my Speed and Combat stats. The urge to learn more, the burning in my chest, came back stronger than ever. I had a feeling that the Skill tied to this sensation was close at hand, despite the fact that I had no idea what the next Skill was or what Minor had planned for me next.

Well, I suppose in my downtime I can figure out my XP gain thus far. Deflecting a Spell or a ranged attack usually depends on how well the attack was deflected as well as the power behind the attack, but a normal Fireball usually gives around 0.2 XP divided evenly between myself and Gary, so 0.1 XP to me per. However, I was deflecting throwing knives and Infernal Fireballs, not just Fireballs. Because of that, I think it would be 0.05 for each knife and 0.15 for the Spells. Given the 125 Spells I cut down, plus the 60 knives that could have cut me down… 3 XP for the knives, 18.75 for the Infernal Fireballs. Plus the one from the break, and that's a total of 22.75 XP today alone. If I'm not forgetting or neglecting anything, that is. Oh, and Gary might have gotten a slight bonus by helping me, which I'm going to let slide because I actually needed the help. Adding all of that together, that means my XP to the next Level is currently 393.58 of 790, meaning Gary has taken 6,883.14 XP from me over the course of nearly a decade.

Speaking of, I wonder if getting rid of him will actually return my XP to me. Then again, I'm not quite sure I want to get rid of him so much. That's not to say I like him, but I've gotten so used to this Parasite being inside of me that I'm not entirely sure I want him gone. Heck, I've even named the little monster out of boredom. I will admit, him sapping my XP gain has been a pain, but my point still stands. Him being gone will probably be like losing a part of my body in more than one sense.

_Aww, so you _do _think about me_, Gary teased me.

_Only because you're always in my head_, I returned. If the Parasite could actually laugh like it does in my head, I'm sure it would.

_Oh, you're a treat_, the Parasite said, a metaphorical smile on its nonexistent face.

See what I mean? Without him, I wouldn't have these constant teases and taunts, threats and temptations, and so on. My life would feel like a void had just formed where Gary once was. At the very least and very best, I would have to take some time to adjust without his presence.

"Alright," I was bumped out of my thoughts by Minor. "Now that we have taken our break to rest up, recover, calm down, et cetera, I believe that now is an opportune moment to try something new. If you would please follow myself and Magnus, that would be most appreciated." I nodded, taking one last sip of water from my glass before rising from my seat and following the brothers outside.

I was somewhat confused about the sight before my eyes. Why were there four dummies out here, and why were they so close together? They were all those basic straw dummies with pumpkin heads and burlap skins on wooden posts that one might find in a castle barracks from the Dark Ages, though two of them had red rags tied around their necks while two had blue on them. While confusing, I was certain that there was a specific reason for this.

"Right, now that you're here," Magnus began. "We, as your teachers, have collectively decided to improve your most powerful asset: your swordsmanship."

"I recognize that you already know how to swing a sword," Minor explained. "However, you can do so much more given a certain Skill in your arsenal: Blade Summon. If I remember correctly, that Skill in particular is the only one which allows you to summon your blades to you, meaning that so long as you have that Skill you can call your weapons from anywhere with so much as a flick of your wrist."

"Meaning that even disarming you will not lessen the threat you pose," Magnus finished his brother's thought. "In fact, you don't even need to keep your weapons in-hand to be a dangerous opponent. You can do something even Minor and I cannot perform, something that - once you learn to take advantage of it - could make you a more potent threat than any other Paladin."

"We might sound crazy in telling you to do this, but trust us on this," Minor said with well-contained excitement. "Summon your swords to your hands. Either one or both will do just fine." I obeyed, summoning the Fire Sword to my right hand and the Healing Sword to the left. "Perfect, that's a thousand times better. Now, pay close attention and do as I say: throw either one of them at any dummy of your choosing."

Well, he wasn't wrong: this sounded more insane than I felt for asking Gary for help. Still, I did as I was told and tossed my Fire Sword at the red dummy on my left. The blade didn't hit the dummy, but the pommel seemed to knock the stuffing out of the burlap sack. Minor shook his head, implying that I did something wrong.

"I meant blade-first, but that works just as well," Minor sighed. Magnus intervened before any hurtful things could be said.

"It is good to know that you can actually hit the dummy at twenty feet out," Magnus stated. "However, to be an even more effective warrior in this particular fighting style, I think it would be better if you were to strike the dummy with the sharper part of your sword. Having thrown it, that is. Oh, how do I phrase this more accurately?"

"Throw your sword like you might a knife," Minor suggested. "The goal is to impale the dummy from a distance for now."

"Throw your sword in such a way that it runs the burlap through," Magnus rephrased.

"Exactly," Minor agreed. Okay, that makes a bit more sense. Still, isn't that a stupid move if I can't retrieve my sword? That is what Minor told me, right? I obeyed regardless, calling the Fire Sword back to my hand. I held the weapon in such a way that I could throw the sword accurately, aiming the point at the dummy I had previously targeted before raising the blade behind my shoulder. I then used my arm as a small catapult, releasing the sword at the right time so that it would fly right at my target. The way I threw it caused the weapon to spin vertically as it flew towards the dummy, cutting through the air like a hot knife through butter. When the weapon hit the target, the sharp edge of the burning blade tore into the stiff fabric with relative ease, gliding into the packed straw stuffing as if it weren't there. When half of the blade was through the dummy, the sword stopped as its force ceased to propel the weapon any further. While not terribly impressive compared to everything I've done before, the fact that it was flying and went that far speaks volumes of my strength. My accuracy is just as incredible, as the sword pierced straight through where the dummy's heart would be… yeah, no. That whole accuracy thing was a fluke, I was actually thinking both times that it would hit dirt and skid to a stop feet away from the base of the intended target.

"Well done," Minor praised me. "That would have been a kill had that been any kind of human-like figure. Now, summon your sword back to you and repeat the process."

I did so, not really paying attention to where the blade was coming from. The burning hot blade returned to my hand, embers flickering off of the edge of the weapon. I tried to quickly throw the weapon, but it went way off target and stopped several feet short of the base. I was slightly annoyed with this and summoned the sword back to my hand. This time, I decided to experiment with different ways to throw knives. Sure, a sword is bigger and heavier than a knife, but knife throwing is a great place to start with and I had to start somewhere. I tried overhand throws, underhand tosses, catapult throws, throwing from either side like a ball or a frisbee, almost everything. I even tried throwing it like a spear. It was only when I tried putting in a little backspin into an underhand throw that it actually flew like I wanted, albeit a bit inaccurate. Even more impressively about it is the fact that I can throw my sword about three seconds after it returns to my hand. Now to fix the inaccuracy, which was simple to do. All I needed was to make sure that the sword was angled in such a way that the point was directed at my intended target when I released the handle. Magnus looked proud of me when I had finally figured out how to do it.

"Finally figured it out, huh?" Minor commented. "Do you understand what we were trying to show you now?"

"Not really," I said, somewhat tired from the constant chucking of swords. Minor sighed in defeat.

"Jaune, you are able to call your sword back to you, correct?" Magnus tried to guide me. I nodded, breathing somewhat heavily. "And you now know how to throw them, yes?" I again nodded, spinning the Fire Sword in my right hand with ease. "Well, no other swordsman can perform such a feat. Not with physical swords, and rarely with the Elemental ones. The fact that you can gives you the greatest advantage over any other swordsman: range. No matter how short or long the distance you can throw, it is certainly further than any spear, which means that other swordsmen will have a tough time with you regardless of whether they are up close or far out."

"So you're basically saying that I've already got an advantage by virtue of being able to call my swords back to me," I paraphrased. "Meaning I can actually throw my swords without having to worry about being disarmed, right?"

"Essentially, yes," Magnus confirmed. "Continue working on your swordsmanship, and I'm certain that you will be a force to be reckoned with. Well, your swordsmanship _and_ your Spells." He looked over to the door to see that his wife was waving to us. "Seems like lunch is ready. Let's head in and freshen up."

Over lunch, Magnus and Minor were silent to one another, not quite willing to speak with one another just yet but still calm enough for lunch. Cinder was glaring daggers at Atlanta, which concerned me enough to want to step between the two just in case something unfriendly broke out between the two. It was a few silent, awkward moments later when Magnus brought something up at the table.

"So Golemancy seems to be a thing now," he mentioned. "Clockwork minds or something like that."

"Oh, the Clockwork Golems," Minor recognized the story. "I hear-tell that Golems once required animal minds to perform even basic functions. Are they getting more advanced now, or are people overselling it?"

"Well, the creators are claiming that they can now sweep a house, cut the grass of a lawn, print newspapers, assemble books, and a few other mundane tasks," Magnus recalled. "I'm not entirely sure if they're capable of anything more complicated just yet, but hearing this is certainly interesting. The papers may end up being cheaper, if nothing else."

"Yes, and speaking of papers," Cinder brought up. "Did you hear of that monster overpopulation problem over in Wynndale? I saw some of those Harpies on my way here, and you wouldn't believe how many there were to a nest. I counted ten eggs, five males, two females, and a Matriarch. At least one was Level 30, as far as I could see. I simply scared them off when I passed by, but it seems the problem has gotten worse." The brothers glanced at each other, concern etched on their faces. "The city is offering any hunter more than fifty gold per Harpy head. Within certain limitations, of course."

"How bad is it, do you know," Atlanta asked, worried about what she once told me was her hometown. Cinder shrugged honestly.

"From what I hear, there are at least twenty Matriarchs, maybe more nests," Cinder claimed. "They're still counting the number of missing people, but in the latest estimates there are almost fifteen confirmed with another twenty up in the air. Merchants are refusing to go anywhere near the town because of the danger."

"Those poor people," Atlanta said in a hushed tone. This was obviously hitting close to home, if the fact that her hometown was in danger was anything to go by. All of a sudden, and completely out of nowhere, the brothers began a heated discussion and argument about this particular situation. Honestly, it seemed to me like they were in agreement about something, but the big decision had something to do with me.

"I think it could be a perfect opportunity to test your mettle, Jaune," Cinder said clear as day. "Of course, you might want to upgrade your armor, perhaps some of your equipment as well, but I think a taste of real combat would be good for you."

"But what about my training," I couldn't help but ask.

"Cinder darling, how many days to Wynndale," Minor asked politely. Cinder tapped her chin gently, trying to recall her journey.

"In a steam carriage, I would say about a day," she explained. "That is, if you take a shortcut and you don't stop for anything. Why?"

"Great. Many thanks, dear." Minor and Magnus continued their swift conversation in a blur of speech and arguments. I almost immediately had a bad feeling about this. Were they going over there to fight the Harpies? If so, how would my training continue?

"One," Magnus suggested when the argument was at its slowest near the end. Minor had other ideas.

"Five," the younger brother argued.

"Three," Magnus bargained. Minor pondered this before nodding quickly and shifting in his seat. "Well, it's settled. Jaune, we're taking you with us to hunt down some Harpies. Ten heads apiece, keep any loot we may find, and train you along the way. We can count it as some field training. The whole trip should take us about four days in total if we take three stops per day to train you save for the hunt itself."

"That was the _only_ thing we could agree on," Minor sighed. "Aside from the number of heads we would take, that is."

"What about me," Atlanta asked. "I need to check up on my family, see if they're alright."

"Alright, we can arrange for that," Magnus decided. "Cinder, are you coming with us, or will you stay here and keep an eye on the house for us?"

"I'd rather not embarrass you three boys," was her response. "I think I'll stay here and look after things here."

"'Embarrass us boys'," Magnus grumbled. "We've two Paladins and a seasoned Knight. Not much can outdo us combined, especially with Atlanta with us."

Atlanta blushed lightly before pulling in her husband for a kiss. I looked away out of both embarrassment and envy, though mostly the former. I mean, at the table _in front of me_ is vastly different than just where I can see it.

**End**

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**A/N: I think this chapter went well. Sure, I did get distracted here and there, but overall I think it went pretty okay. I even expanded on a couple of things I haven't truly gone into just yet, which pleases me greatly. If you think I should expand on something or explain another or something along those lines, let me know in a Review. PM's are also acceptable, but I must give fair warning about that: PLEASE keep your PM's in the same spot. I've had this one person send me several messages in different conversations, which didn't help me keep up with him because the titles of each conversation was a freaking period. I could literally not make this up if I tried, it actually happened. Mini rant over, I feel better.**

**As for interesting events over the course of me writing this, NCAA Finals, Tech vs Tech. Guess which one won… yeah, we lost. TTU lost the game, but it was a close match. Credit where due, Virginia Tech played pretty well. Had us in the first half, got had in the second, and beat us in overtime.**

**Not trying to skip over any news, but regardless, I gotta get to work on the next chapter. This is General Texas, signing out. See you all in the next chapter (and the Reviews).**


	8. Chapter 8

**And I'm back. The General is back in the groove… as of the time of writing this intro. Life happens, and I'm not gonna jinx it. Anyways, welcome back to Just Another Steampunk Gamer. Chapter 8, it's been forever since I've reached this number. And to think, this is in one of the best stories I've written to date.**

**Now, at least one of you guys (you know who you are) actually said something that makes sense to me: Jaune has the Sword Summon Skill, implying that he could summon any sword and not just his own. This actually caught me off guard, as I actually didn't think of that. Not only that, but they mentioned a few things which I will attempt to work into the story in some way. Thanks for the ideas, by the way. I really appreciate it.**

**Now that the rest of the intro is out of the way, let's truck on through the Disclaimer as well. I wanna get to the next part, because as of me planning it out I really, **_**really**_ **like it, and I think you all will too.**

* * *

_**I do not own RWBY. I am not a part of RoosterTeeth. I do not want either one of these to be true. I am content with where I am… okay, that's a bit of a lie, but I'd still rather be here than there.**_

* * *

**Jaune Arc (14)**

**Level 21 Paladin, unaligned**

**Passive XP: 0.16 per day**

**XP to Level 22: 397.83 of 790 (forgot some calculations. Oops)**

**XP taken by Gary: 6,887.39 (same as above. Oops again)**

**Base Armor: 52 (52.75, technically)**

**Stats**

**Strength: 106 (Labor 45, Combat 83, Force 46, Control 60), Intelligence: 98 (Wisdom 57, Intelligence 54, Technical 27, Strategy 46), Constitution: 120 (Immunity 90, Endurance 124, Tolerance 112, Maga 156), Agility: 150 (Balance 50, Flexibility 48, Speed 52), Social: 101 (Emotion 97, Compassion 99), Resistance: 158 (Physical 158, Magical 156, Elemental 155)**

**Equipment**

**Healing Sword II (Piercing 12, Weight 2, Sturdiness 12, heals wielder passively), Fire Sword II (Piercing 14, Weight 2, Sturdiness 12, increases effectiveness of Fire attacks by 65%, inflicts Burning debuff on targets with less than 50 Elemental Resistance)**

**Total Armor: 52**

**Abilities**

**Element Seeker, Burning Wrath (New Discovery)**

**Skills**

**Nature's Eye, Dust Acquisition, Fishing III, Hunting III, Survival III, Cooking II (Self-Taught), Metalworking II, Weapons Basics III, Unarmed Combat IV, Avoidance, Reflex, Elemental Knowledge VI, Fire Efficiency, Life Efficiency, Maga Efficiency, Stats, Pathfinder, Elemental Summon, Seeker (Self-Taught), Rapid Fire, Blade Summon (Self-Taught), Culture I**

**Spells**

**Living Fireball III, Living Flame Pulse III, Flamethrower II, Flame Missile, Flame Dispel, Flame Wings, Flame Embodiment, Meteoric Punch, Sulfur Blast, Pyre, Basalt Skin, Healer III, Root Punch, Cedar Oak, Sturdy Roots, Forest Camouflage, Peat Bomb, Lightning Bolt II**

**Buffs**

**Weakness, Second Opinion, XP Drain, Symbiotic Binds, Nature's Grace, Comfortable, Puberty, Recent Tragedy, Training (Jaune is improving rapidly under specialized tutelage and is more receptive to new Skills and stats increases which come from his mentors), Recent Happiness, New Discovery (Jaune has discovered more about one of his Abilities, but it will take him time to adjust to it)**

**Class Buffs: Healing Aura, Defensive Aura**

* * *

I was less excited about the next part of my training, given the new information I had about Wynndale, but Magnus assured me that I would need it. He felt he had to teach me at least something beneficial about this, else I would be at a slight if not significant disadvantage in the next couple of days. The fact that I was going without my armor/clothes was just as uncomfortable if not more so. Magnus assured me that it would be for the better, as well as feel better, in the long run.

"I want to teach you a specific Spell that will even the odds against the Harpies, but first I want to explain what makes Harpies so dangerous," Magnus started. He had a detailed drawing of a Harpy on the table: a bird with sharp teeth inside the beak, wings as long as the body was tall, legs that seemed human in that they had knees before the scaled feet began, and vicious-looking talons. "Keep in mind that not all Harpies look like this, but the ones we are to hunt down do, in fact, have this general appearance. These are a specific breed of Harpy known as Black Talon Harpy, and they tend to be more dangerous than any other Harpy breed. Their talons have a certain poison that can kill if not treated well and quickly, their teeth are razor sharp and usually act as their second line of attack if their talons don't work. They are usually 3 feet tall, have poor smell but excellent sight and hearing, and aren't capable of flying off with prey any larger than they can hold with one foot. They have dark blue and crimson feathers, with the rare patch of black feathers on their crest, chest, or tail; their black beaks usually have hints of read near the sharpest parts, and their eyes are usually orange or yellow. And don't think they're dumb either; they usually rely on diversions and distractions when in small numbers, a warm tactics when in larger groups. These birds also tend to seek revenge when members of their horde are killed. Are you keeping up with any of this?"

My mind was spinning, but I did. I was already coming up with ways to take out these birds with all of this information, but Magnus had other ideas.

"Okay, now that you know what you're hunting, let's talk about the actual hunt," Magnus said. He pointed at the throat of the bird. "First off is killing the stupid hawk, and yes it is hard if you don't know what you're doing. Found that out the hard way, don't ask how I figured it out. Anyways, the weak points of all Harpies is the neck, which is usually thinner than the head by a small but noticeable margin and longer than it is with most birds; Black Talon Harpies have shorter and thicker necks than most species of Harpy, but it's still the weak point. Everywhere else you should at least try to avoid if possible, but I'll explain why later on. For now, you need to know the best way to get _to_ the neck, and that is the exact same thing as these overgrown chickens will try to pull. They always think that other creatures will stick to a single thing at a time, no matter what that thing is. This is a fallacy we can exploit by casting two Spells simultaneously. They will usually focus on avoiding one, ignoring the other altogether. This isn't to say that they can't dodge, but it does mean that their focus is limited. Catch their attention with one thing, cut them down with another. Works almost all of the time, though there are some exceptions."

"So I just need to distract them, and I can attack them while they are," I tried to understand.

"Yes, but that tactic only works in small numbers," Magnus explained. "In larger numbers, usually starting around nine or ten, some of them won't see the distraction or will ignore it in favor of hunting you. Yes, bright and shiny things will catch their attention, but most of the time they won't all fall for it. Again, the best thing to do is to cast two spells simultaneously. The Harpy you target will dodge one and will usually fly right into the other. Explosions work best, but some things also catch them off guard."

"What about Elemental weaknesses," I asked. "Most monsters have at least one of those, right?"

"Yes, but most of those are hard to exploit," Magnus answered. "Luckily for you, these specific Harpies have two: Lightning and Fire. Fire is obvious, but Lightning is a curious thing for them. See, they have these organs near their hearts that act as conductors or conductive agents, meaning Lightning will be attracted to these parts and, due to proximity, their hearts. If you got a big enough group of them close to each other, which is hard to do, you could easily cast a Lightning Bolt at the closest one and either stun or fry them all. However, that takes some skill to pull off, and we don't have the time to teach you that right now… or maybe we can, I have no idea. You would need to learn Lightning Bolt III, maybe higher, and you might also need more Lightning Element, combined with a higher Resistance. But regardless, I'm going to teach you an easier way to kill them in one shot: Dual Cast."

"'Dual Cast'," I repeated. "Sounds more like a Blacksmithing thing, to be honest."

"That's just a show-off stunt that tradesmen sometimes pull off to save time," Magnus stated. "Dual Cast allows one to split their attention between two Spells at the same time, rather than focusing on one singular Spell at any given time. There are higher tiers of this Skill, but right now you only need to know about Dual Cast. This will allow you to either strike down one Harpy with ease or gather several in one area before stunning or killing them all in one strike. Does this make sense?" I nodded, already getting ideas. Either a Flame Missile or a suitable Lightning Bolt will likely do the trick, preferably Missile because I can actually add other minor Elements to the explosive part. Maybe a simple Fireball that dissipates in the middle to catch their attention, followed by a Flame Missile right at the first Spell? Maybe, sounds like a good idea.

"Now, we can continue on Harpy biology later," Magnus declared. "For now, I want you to form a Fireball in your right hand." I did so easily, almost like it was nothing… well it kind of is now, but that's besides the point. "Good, so far so good. Now, try to form a Flame Missile in your left hand." I tried to do so, only to stumble across a major roadblock: maintaining the Fireball might not take much concentration, but forming a Flame Missile is much more difficult and takes much more attention to detail. Not to mention that holding a Missile without giving it an order takes concentration beyond what forming the thing takes. Same goes with the Fireball, holding takes more focus than simply forming. As such, I struggled with this for a good thirty minutes trying to focus on the Fireball so that it wouldn't dissipate while also trying to form a Flame Missile. This is much harder than it looks, guys. I tried to focus on one, and the other started to fade; I tried to form one, and the other would get cranky. At some point, I tried forming both at the same time, ending up exploding in the backyard for that one.

What I finally figured out to do was to not divide my attention between one or the other but to keep one in the back of my mind and focus on the harder of the two while relying on my instincts to perform the easier. Besides, all I had to do was simply think about the Fireball for it to form, so I didn't have to try too hard to form one. The Flame Missile being the hardest, I kept my attention on forming the fiery shell without any extra explosive goodness so that it wouldn't explode if I lost my focus. This got me thinking: I had formed a Missile that exploded but couldn't fly, so what if I made one of those intentionally?

"Okay, you made both Spells," Magnus noticed. "In record time, too. Met a bunch of kids who tried that, took 'em an hour at best. Here you are, a dual apprentice with a Parasite in you, and you literally took half the time as they did. I must say, Jaune Arc, you are exceptional. Anyways, now that you've formed the Spells, I want you to slowly expand both at the same time for another thirty minutes. Do this and make sure that you can release them safely, and I'll be back to see about your progress."

Oh. So that's the game we're playing, eh? Oh, brother. I'm going to explode, aren't I?

* * *

I refrained from exploding, but I soon found out that I favor my right side by a wide margin after making the 2-inch Fireball an 8-foot behemoth while the Missile only went from a 4-inch diameter to a 6-inch diameter. I guess I just need to focus more on the left than the right for now. Or form my harder Spells on the right side from now on, that could work too. Regardless, Magnus came by and asked me to Dual Cast again and, while I had technically learned the Skill and gained a solid 4 XP from the attempts, I was still struggling with its mastery.

So the next time I formed the two Spells, I focused more on my left than my right as the Missile was there, and having successfully formed the Spells I started filling them with Fire and Maga in a disproportionate yet equal ratio. This made it so that the Spells would be stronger and shine brighter while also expanding and not using as much Element to increase in size. This was especially necessary for Flame Missile, as Maga was an essential component in both propulsion and explosion. Magnus came back a half hour later to find two large Spells: a 30-inch Fireball and a 15-inch Missile. He was proud of me, still ordering me to repeat the process after refilling on Element and recovering my Maga, and commended me on my success. I didn't quite count it as a success just yet, as I wanted to learn how to launch both simultaneously first before I fully considered it a personal victory.

During our break, Magnus told me something interesting:

"You know, Jaune," he'd said. "Almost all monsters and even some special Guardians have a special organ inside of them that contains various Elements inside. I'll tell you later what to expect, but these organs can contain special… items within them, for lack of a better term. Not all Harpies have items, and not all monsters will either, but the ones we are facing usually have something of interest to tradesmen."

This got me thinking. Sure, it was distracting, but this piece of information got my attention. I allowed it to keep me occupied while I formed my next pair of Spells. It was most certainly challenging, but it would probably allow me to focus on more things than just two little things. Advancing my own training like there was nothing wrong with it was likely not on the list of things Magnus had planned on, but he also knew that I was quick to adapt when things didn't quite work in my favor. I just hoped that doing this would make Dual Casting easier for me.

"Well, would you look at that," Magnus noted as he next passed by me. "It seems you really have the lock open on this Skill here. Cinder, how well is he doing in that little head of his?"

I opened my eyes to see that the Missile and Fireball had formed and expanded easily, without me truly keeping an eye on them. While impressive, what was more impressive is that I didn't even try to make them so concentrated, they just were.

"He isn't quite focused on them, but he is keeping a watchful eye on them as he thinks about other things," Cinder told Magnus. "It seems like he's finally got a grasp on shaping Spells. I must say, I am impressed; it took me four weeks to figure this out, and here he's managed to learn how in a matter of days."

"Sounds just like him," Magnus sighed. "Kid's just like his father, I swear. Jaune, go ahead and release the Spells. We have another couple of hours before supper, so we might as well use them to get you prepared." I nodded, decreasing the size of the Fire Spells drastically before launching them both at a pair of dummies. I did this by telling the Flame Missile to launch at the target when I threw the Fireball, after which I threw the Fireball and made another dummy its target. Since I had learned Seeker already, the Fireball raced towards the burlap sack I willed it to chase, and the Flame Missile went ahead and launched itself at the other dummy once the Fireball left my palm. Both targets were quickly reduced to burning sacks of straw as the powerful Spells struck them. I felt exceptionally proud of myself, having launched two successful attacks at the same time, but I knew it was just a fluke when I struck both targets. Flame Missiles can be directed at separate targets from one another, but Seeker Fireballs always chase after the same one, which is the one I decide when I launch one or more. I wouldn't be surprised if multiple casts of the same Spell chased after the same target, now that I can cast two Spells simultaneously. I suppose I may have to find a way to work around that, won't I?

"Jaune, catch," Minor cried, noticing a sword flying towards me. I noticed it as he yelled, and I bravely figured that I could use my Sword Summon Skill to catch it with ease. That's not quite what happened, as I only ended up bringing my Healing Sword to my right hand. Caught off guard by this, I tried as quickly as I could to raise the sword to my defense; I ended up just barely missing, getting cut on my cheek when I knocked the sword off course from my face in the nick of time, no pun intended. I was certainly taken aback, having not expected an attack directed at me so suddenly.

"Good heavens, who sent that blade," Minor wondered, still slightly frightened by the spontaneous attack. Magnus immediately began searching the area for potential attackers, as did his wife and guest while Minor checked my wound and tended to it. What had me so shocked was not how it happened, but why I couldn't pull that sword to my hand. Was there a strangely specific enchantment on the blade that prevented me from calling it? No, I would have been able to sense something like that when I called to it, just like the times I was able to. So why couldn't I call to it?

Once Minor had finished treating my cut, I arose and sought out the blade itself. It was embedded to the guard into a dummy, which had broken off of its wooden stake and was now trapped between sword and shed. Only the guard had a hint of blood dripping from the furthest tip of its wing. Its sting came back to my cheek, reminding me of the attack. Nope, no enchantments going off of looks alone. Since its Element is Earth, maybe that would explain why it won't answer my call. I don't want to think of the alternative.

I shook the negative thoughts from my mind and took a strange stance: I stood tall and simply held my hand out to the handle of the blade from a few paces away. Sure, it was strange to me, but during my training I had once done this and managed to call a blade to my hand. This time may be no different, and I'm eager to figure it out.

'_Sword of the Earthen Depths, heed my call_,' I called to the weapon with my mind. I had done this with a basic sword lodged into a boulder at Minor's request at some point during one of the four months of my training. That's why I find it so quick and easy to call my own weapons with so little focus. '_Bring your handle to within my grasp, and grant me your power._'

The sword did little to react, only moving a slight amount. It did not obey my command eagerly like other swords. I eventually just lost my patience with the weapon and just closed the distance on it, grabbing the hilt angrily and giving it a hard yank. The whole thing crumbled to dust, vanishing into the wind as a pale brown cloud in the vague and quickly fading shape of a sword. I was genuinely shocked by this, not expecting such a Spell. That was no mere weapon, it was an Earth Spell made to take the general shape of a sword and mimic its edge. In other words, it was an Elemental Sword Spell, and it explained why I couldn't make it heed my summons. I had gotten lucky in blocking it, as it wouldn't have answered me in the first place.

"An Earth Spell, hmm," Minor pondered aloud. "It would seem that a skilled Mage of some kind has decided to make an attempt on your life, given the type of Spell he used. Perhaps he is an Earth Mage, although I refuse to say for certain."

I couldn't help but agree, as I had picked up faint signatures of Maga from within the Elemental Weapon. Maybe Magnus or Mom has some information on this kind of Spell? Regardless, the idea that I was almost killed today is highly disturbing. Even the 2.5 XP I had gained wasn't enough to calm my nerves, although it was a nice bonus. That was highly disturbing to me, and that single event would set me on edge for the rest of the day.

The rest of the time between then and supper was spent either searching for the missing Mage, looking into the Spell that had nearly brought me to an early grave, or in my case fixing a part of the steam dynamo. One of the gears on an axle had sheared, ripping a copper coil to pieces in the process and fracturing the axle itself, which subsequently caused a leak in one of the pipes. In other words, it took a few things with it when it broke, and not just the electricity either. So here I was, fixing the damage to the pipe itself before doing anything else. I had to take out that entire section of pipe to do so, making things several times harder on me and taking an extra hour of work to fix. I was just about to fit the new bit of pipe to the rest of the dynamo when I heard another creak and snap. I groaned in anger at the sound, recognizing the sound itself to mean another piece broke. A flow valve axle had just snapped, along with the attached valve bending out of shape just before. Quickly I fit the new pipe where it went, made sure it was tightened up enough to prevent a leak, and got to work on the newly broken part before the problem could get any worse. This was infuriating to me, being much worse than our own dynamo has ever broken and thus being much more of a pain in the backside to fix.

By the time I had finished with the flow valve, I moved on with assessing the axle itself. It took me very little time to figure out that the whole axle would need to be replaced, so I started by removing the whole thing and grabbing a new, fresh axle from the spares cabinet. I got lucky in this regard, seeing as how the axles were the same size. The spare gear and coil were made to fit this particular axle, making things so much easier for me to fix this dynamo. I took a long, hard look at the axle itself and analyzed how it was fit together before replicating the design on the new one. While it wasn't easy to do so, having a reference to look to every now and then made things easier for me. I had to screw the gear on one end of the axle, fit the axle into the steam tank, and _then_ lock the coil onto the axle using the notches on the metal pole to latch the coil firmly in place. The process took me about two hours, mostly because it was just so unwieldy to carry around. Thankfully enough, I didn't end up breaking anything with the huge rod of brass, so the repairs never took too much longer than necessary. To top it all off, I ended up adding another 5 XP to my repertoire for learning a new Skill: Dynamo Repair Basics. Doesn't surprise me either, since that stupid thing took some serious thinking and figuring out to fix. If I wanted to fix anything more on my own, I would need an experienced dynamo engineer to teach me more of the basics. Otherwise, I would just lose my sanity and my temper with the incomprehensible box of brass.

In other news, I quickly cleaned up for dinner and headed to the table to pray. It seemed as though Minor and Cinder had yet to make it to the table, but the meal was starting to get cold and those of us here opted to go ahead and pray without them. This got me slightly upset, but not as upset as I would be if this were the first time. This wasn't the first time this sort of thing had happened, just the first with a guest in the mix. Magnus was certainly displeased, but more in an annoyed way than anything else. Atlanta seemed more upset than anyone else here, as the day prior she had discussed her desire to speak at least once with Cinder. I, on the other hand, had other matters at hand to deal with, such as who or what had almost killed me, why it had happened, and why they kept talking about Earth Mages. The questions weighed heavily on my mind, only pressing slightly harder than these 'special organs' Magnus had told me about. If I were to ask a question now, it would likely be on either of those two subjects.

"Jaune, do you know of any Earth Mages?" Magnus asked curiously. I couldn't quite name one off the top of my head. Sure, Russel used a bit more Earth Element in his attacks, but he was a Knight, not a Mage. Dove only used it sparingly for his chosen weapon as a reinforcement, but knowing that the guy was a blundering fool with all things Maga I could safely cross the Knight off the list. Sky used absolutely no Earth whatsoever, meaning it couldn't have been one of his Spells. If Cardin wanted to use Earth, he would likely use it in the form of Lava rather than base form. Anyone else I knew either didn't use Earth, wasn't a Mage, or simply wasn't bright or menacing enough to attempt something like this. As such, I shook my head negatively. Magnus sighed and bowed his head.

"Why does it have to be an Earth Mage," I couldn't help but ask. "Couldn't anyone use this Earth Sword Spell?" He shook his head.

"Earth Sword is an advanced Earth-based Spell that requires copious amounts of Earth and Maga," Atlanta claimed. "So much that only a trained Mage or higher could pull it off successfully. As such, we're playing it safe and starting off with the least threatening of the possibilities. I hope that you understand."

"Well, I _have_ met plenty of Mages, and I _do_ know enough people who use Earth," I mentioned. "Thing is, the Mages don't use Earth, and the ones who use Earth don't have access to Spells yet. Not that I'm aware of, at least."

"Then this could complicate matters," Magnus stated. "It means that anyone could have done it for any number of reasons. It could have been a politician, it could have been some mercenary for hire, it could have been an Earthen Cultist. To be honest, the possibilities are limited yet endless."

I had no idea what he was talking about, but the politician thing made little sense to me because I wasn't into politics nor did I even know of any. The mercenary and cultist parts were a curious thing to me, as I had only heard of such things in passings by and newspaper headlines. And some of the books I had stumbled upon, but those could have been fictional things.

"What's a mercenary," I couldn't help but ask. "And what are cultists?"

"Not surprised that you don't know," Magnus mused. "A mercenary is a person who uses his or her skills for profit; whoever pays the most coin gets the first calls. As for cultists… it really depends on their goals. For the most part, a cultist is a member of a radical organization who either joined of their own volition or was tricked into joining by another member. In the case of the ones I named, I misspoke. I was actually talking about the members of the Lunari Cult, although they are the only cult among those who use the Earth Element, so the two are practically interchangeable. With reference to them, their relationship with the Fire Element is poor at best, and they tend to hunt down Fire-based Classes at their leisure. Their goals are never truly set in stone, but they do have one thing in common: they are absolutely mesmerized by the moon. I suppose they blame the Fire Classes for the Sun, which keeps the skies lit during the day, but that's just a guess. I luckily have never run across one before, and would like to keep it that way."

"So basically, a cultist is one of many crazies who do crazy things for crazy reasons," I assumed. Magnus paused a moment to ponder this definition.

"I suppose that is one way to see it, albeit a bit strange," he admitted.

"Well, we shouldn't rest on uncertainties," Atlanta said, calling our attention. "What you should be thinking of, young Jaune Arc, is some of the loot you may get from the Harpy hunt we are about to embark on." I was so confused by this statement, combined with trying to wrap my head around everything, that I couldn't help but tilt my head to the side like a dog.

"Loot," I repeated. "Isn't that a pirate thing?" Magnus tried to contain his laughter at the table. I heard Minor burst out laughing in the other room, which was the guest bedroom, so I could only assume that he had heard as well. "Am I wrong?"

"No, no," Magnus wheezed, chuckling the whole time. "I've just… I've never heard _that_ one before. Oh, goodness."

"I take it that Magnus never told you about monster loot," Atlanta asked, amused from the whole conversation on this topic. I shrugged.

"He did tell me about some kind of prize organ or something like that," I mentioned, striking my chin. "I don't remember anything about loot, though. What is that, given the context?"

"Well, he told you about that 'prize organ', as you called it, right," Atlanta asked. I nodded. "That's actually called the mythos gland, and it holds certain items that the monster's body can't process but won't get rid of either. When a monster swallows certain objects like metal or a wallet, either by mistake or intentionally, those objects are held in the mythos gland. Since it is so close to the monster's Elemental center, these items can sometimes be infused with Elements native to the monster, changing them a bit as time goes on. When the monster is slain, those items can be retrieved. Coinage is usually spared because of the enchantments on the coins themselves, but other things usually aren't so lucky and are transformed. That's what loot is: anything of value found in the mythos gland or in the monster itself. Does this make sense so far?" I nodded, but another question had popped up in my mind once 'loot' was defined for me.

"What do Harpies carry," I asked.

"Keep in mind that you aren't going to hunt any Harpy you find," Magnus reminded me. "We are going there specifically to cleanse the flock of most of the Black Talon Harpies, not purge every bird in the field. In fact, most of the Harpies over in Wynndale are friendly or shy rather than hostile. I apologize for not clarifying earlier, but you must learn to keep your specific target in mind while hunting. Monsters play just as big a role in the world as any other creature, as you should be well aware of." Good to know. In fact, this is news to me. I never realized that there was more than one kind of Harpy. "As for the loot, you will generally find just a small purse with a handful of coins at most, although you might find a Dust Crystal within sometimes. You might rarely find a rock with a rainbow glitter to it, and should you find one you should hold on to it, but those are incredibly rare to find and hard to truly obtain. At least, that's what you'll find in what you're going to be actively hunting. If you find something else, or face a higher Level Black Talon Harpy, then you might find something different."

"They also create heater coils when they swallow a small copper coil," Minor said as he and Cinder exited the guest room. One could hardly tell that they had done anything in there, but I could see a few ruffles in their clothes here and there. I didn't understand what happened, but knowing Minor I doubt I would've wanted to know. "Those are worth a fortune to steam engineers and researchers, although other tradesmen will seldom make a purchase."

"Good to know," I commented. At the very least, I would gain some experience and XP from this hunt, and who knows where the 'very most' is? I was curious and excited at the same time. Now that I knew what these birds were capable of, what they looked like, what not to hit, and what I could get from it, I could hardly wait to go hunting. Considering that I'll be going tomorrow, the eagerness could very well be overwhelming my better judgement. Actually, I did need to calm down. Focus. Count all the XP I had gained since lunch.

And speaking of just that, let me see here. There was the 4 from learning to Dual Cast, which is still cool to me. There was the 2.5 from blocking that stupid Earth Sword Spell, even if just barely. There was another 1 from fixing the broken valve, another 1 for fixing the pipe, 5 from learning that new Skill on my lonesome, and yet another 10 from fixing the axle itself since it was my first time. I was also going to gain another 0.16 XP as soon as I get deep in my sleep, so I'll go ahead and count that now. That comes out to a current total of 23.66 XP for the afternoon. Combined with my Maga and Elemental Resistance rising just slightly, as in plus one apiece, that gives me another 0.5, so 24.16 for the day, right? Yeah, I think so. That would make my total today somewhere in the range of 50, 51, maybe a little more? That puts my current XP towards reaching Level 22 in the range of 421.99 at the end of today, if nothing else happens.

_**BOOM**_! I groaned loudly in frustration. Another broken something or other in the dynamo, I'm certain. Something else happened, didn't it? Let me go fix it right quick.

* * *

Yeah, as it turns out, I needed to play engineer for a third disaster today, as one of the outer brass plates on the boiler tank itself had been worn out a bit too much and could no longer handle the pressure within, causing a bit of a rupture forcing me to replace several plates on the tank itself. This gave me a bit more XP from an increase in my Technical stat and from fixing the break. Oh, and by the way, I had completely forgotten about that stat increase from the other breaks, about a full 2 XP worth between those stats and this repair. My XP is now at 423.99 of 790, further amplifying my slow yet steady incline. Which would make Gary sitting at a pretty 6,913.63 XP from my total. But he said he would gain a Level by the time I'm 20 at this rate. That would mean… jeez, how much XP does a Level 250-odd Parasite need to gain a single Level? Anyways, now that I'm cleaned off, I'm going to bed. I need the rest for tomorrow. I have everything packed for the week-long journey, plus a bit extra for just in case. I also prepared the extended carriage for the steam tractor if at all necessary. If it's going to be as grueling as I think it will be, I might as well prepare for the worst.

_Current XP: 423.99 of 790. XP to Gary: 6,913.63. Training time: 4 months, 5 days._

**End**

* * *

**A/N: I apologize for the delay. Other things happened, excuses happened, summer happened, bad sleep happened, rain and mowing and broken car parts and bad batteries and Easter and other various and sundry things happened. Yeah, I'm sorry guys. I feel bad for not getting this out sooner. Better not to mope and get it over with than delay further, right?**

**Anyways, I hope it's up to your standards (please enjoy it), if I **_**did**_ **screw up please tell me how I can fix it (no Sturgeon's Law, please), and please continue the support (it's a really good stroke to the microscopic black hole of irony that is my ego and pride and an incredible boost in morale to keep writing). No worries about this arc of the story, I separated it into a number of parts so I can get my mind and my act together for a (pardon my French) kickass fight scene and a teensy bit more world building.**

**Happy belated Easter, or to those in Canada (I think, if I remember my calendar correctly) Happy Easter Midnight. With that pleasantness out of the way, I must get off and sleep. This is General Texas, signing out… *snoring noises***


	9. Chapter 9

**Well, things have happened. Fights within my family have broken out for things that were too small to count as excuses, let alone reasons. I dropped the van while we were fixing it because the jacks broke (drop no. 2) and the parking brake wasn't on (whole time) not once, not twice, but three times. Luckily, my sanity hasn't diminished, and neither has my desire to finish this story the right way. Although now that I think about it before I get too far, I should probably mention that I recently remembered that I had accidentally reinvented the wheel: I forgot that Dexterity was a thing so I split it into Control and Balance without realizing or recalling it. Too late to change it now, but it thankfully works for now.**

**Anyways, I am absolutely glad that this story has gotten such a positive reception, with the exception of a random troll here and there. I feel just as pleased that some of you are more than happy to give me advice. One of you even mentioned in Chapter 7 that Jaune is too light hearted to have so few non-lethal takedowns. To that I say, I honestly didn't notice that. I usually just stick with the badass hero trope so much that I don't really think about things like that. And to be honest, you are 100% right there. Jaune **_**does**_ **need some way to win without killing. And you know what, there is no better place to have the basic/intermediate lessons than during a road trip montage. I mean, I **_**did**_ **say that they would have 3 stops per day during the trip, so no better time or place to have such a thing. Besides, he might have a stalker on his tail.**

**In another Guest Review, someone mentioned the idea that Jaune could merge with the Parasite Venom-style, and I really can't blame you. That would be a cool story were it not for one thing: that's not this story. Jaune is actively trying to rid himself of the Parasite, and Gary the Parry himself isn't likely to act unless he perceives a true threat to his own wellbeing. Furthermore, the Parasite - unlike the Venom symbiote - is a Parasite, meaning it takes from the host and gives little if any in return. I like the idea, but Gary isn't a Symbiote and he knows it. Actually, I would say that he despises Jaune for letting the Hallowed Root give him that blessing. To make a long story short, cool idea but not quite applicable to Gary and Jaune. Although, maybe Jaune could run across someone like that in his journeys, now that I think about it. If anyone comes up with a cool idea for that, lemme know.**

**Yet another awesome suggestion was the idea that Quartz (Jaune's older brother, if you'll recall) could forge our Paladin some disposable knife bombs of sorts. To be honest, I wasn't actually thinking about Jaune disposing of his swords, even if they are a bit shitty, pardon my German. Knives, on the other hand, I don't mind. See, I think Jaune is currently a powerhouse with swords, what with the whole dual wielding Elemental Swords and all. However, I do agree with the whole Chekhov's Gun theme, and he knows how to throw knives and swords. He can already use the latter, so why not the former? Unfortunately, this current arc is probably not the time to introduce such a thing, so it will have to wait until after the hunt. Great idea though, absolutely amazing.**

**And speaking of ideas, if you have an idea that you want to share with me, go ahead and tell me. It helps with the writing process for this story, further developing me as a writer and giving me confidence to write new, different, and cooler things in the future. Heck, I'm already more comfortable with writing MC's who aren't overpowered in the first arc. Insert blush, I am very much guilty of such a thing. Reading the first couple of chapters of any of my other stories will prove my point down to the last drop of ink. Now that I think about it, some of them just need to be gotten rid of simply because I've lost interest if nothing else. Not this one, thankfully, but I can actually name a couple that are just horrible. This is why I'm not part of RT. Segue to:**

_**The Author does not own RWBY, nor is he part of RoosterTeeth. He is simply a good man who thinks he's a bad kid for the strangest of reasons. Actually, I'm pretty boring IRL. With all that said, let's get right into the story.**_

* * *

**Jaune Arc (14)**

**Level 21 Paladin, unaligned**

**Passive XP: 0.16 per day**

**XP to Level 22: 423.99 of 790**

**XP taken by Gary: 6,913.63**

**Base Armor: 52**

**Stats**

**Strength: 106 (Labor 45, Combat 83, Force 46, Control 60), Intelligence: 98 (Wisdom 57, Intelligence 54, Technical 35, Strategy 46), Constitution: 120 (Immunity 90, Endurance 124, Tolerance 112, Maga 157), Agility: 150 (Balance 50, Flexibility 48, Speed 52), Social: 101 (Emotion 97, Compassion 99), Resistance: 158 (Physical 158, Magical 156, Elemental 156)**

**Equipment**

**Healing Sword II (Piercing 12, Weight 2, Sturdiness 12, heals wielder passively), Fire Sword II (Piercing 14, Weight 2, Sturdiness 12, increases effectiveness of Fire attacks by 65%, inflicts Burning debuff on targets with less than 50 Elemental Resistance)**

**Total Armor: 52**

**Abilities**

**Element Seeker, Burning Wrath (New Discovery)**

**Skills**

**Nature's Eye, Dust Acquisition, Fishing III, Hunting III, Survival III, Cooking II (Self-Taught), Metalworking II, Weapons Basics III, Unarmed Combat IV, Avoidance, Reflex, Elemental Knowledge VI, Fire Efficiency, Life Efficiency, Maga Efficiency, Stats, Pathfinder, Mountain Climber (Chapter 6, just now remembered it), Elemental Summon, Seeker (Self-Taught), Rapid Fire, Blade Summon (Self-Taught), Culture I, Dual Cast, Dynamo Repair Basics**

**Spells**

**Living Fireball III, Living Flame Pulse III, Flamethrower II, Flame Missile, Flame Dispel, Flame Wings, Flame Embodiment, Meteoric Punch, Sulfur Blast, Pyre, Basalt Skin, Healer III, Root Punch, Cedar Oak, Sturdy Roots, Forest Camouflage, Peat Bomb, Lightning Bolt II**

**Buffs**

**Weakness, Second Opinion, XP Drain, Symbiotic Binds, Nature's Grace, Comfortable, Puberty, Recent Tragedy, Training (Jaune is improving rapidly under specialized tutelage and is more receptive to new Skills and stats increases which come from his mentors), Recent Happiness, New Discovery (Jaune has discovered more about one of his Abilities, but it will take him time to adjust to it)**

**Class Buffs: Healing Aura, Defensive Aura**

* * *

I awoke with a groan to the sun shining into my room. I instinctively got up and began searching for my armor/clothes. I grew increasingly confused as I searched, not finding them as I practically tore my room apart in a futile search for them. I finally groaned in frustration and grabbed a simple pair of knee-length pants and a shirt. If nothing else, it would keep between myself and the poisonous talons on my hunt, as well as anything else that might try to hurt me. I would have to be careful with it though, as said poison wasn't slow if Diamond was correct. Seven hours to death, with a 45 minute safe window. A harrowing thought, to be honest. I didn't want to die, and I certainly didn't want someone else to die. What if someone gets hurt, and I don't have the means to save them? What if _I_ get hurt, and I can't save myself? What if I'm already too late to save someone? Oh wait, I'm probably already too late to save someone, but what if they're someone important to me? What if -

No. No thinking like that, Jaune. You have a job to do, and it will save more people than it will hurt. Just be careful around anything that isn't a Black Talon Harpy, and you'll be doing the right thing.

The strange thing about Harpies, as I heard from Diamond and Mom last night, was that they were commonly used as livestock or pets depending on the breed. They are the only monster species known for being almost entirely docile and nearly domesticated across all breeds. As such, it is a rare occurrence when Black Talon Harpies start running amok. What is so unfortunate is the fact that the Black Talon Harpies have to use the Matriarchs of other breeds to reproduce, meaning that a Matriarch is almost always held hostage by a Black Talon. This also implies that there are no Black Talon Matriarchs in any known or explored regions.

I went through my morning routine as I thought about these things, distracting myself from my armor while in the bath. I managed to finish a small breakfast consisting of a couple apples before I even tried to look for my armor. It was about two minutes into my second search that I recalled last night's events with some modicum of clarity. I had left my armor with one of Magnus's most trusted armor smiths, who was actually close by, and had neglected to pick it up. I had also paid for two Binding Swords, as the Fire and Healing Swords were simply hardened, crystalized Element rather than solid enchanted steel like most of Minor's weapons were. Since Binding Swords were basically the only weapon one could combine an Elemental Sword with, I basically had no choice if I wanted actual weapons for the next fight. Luckily, Magnus knew how to bind an Elemental Weapon to its Binding counterpart, so once I had them I would be able to get a sort of upgrade for my weapons. I was looking forward to that, let me tell you.

As for my armor, I was told that it was actually a weaker leather and fiber than what I would need for combat. The armor smith said that he didn't have the strongest materials to refit my armor with, but he did have something strong enough to do for now. He also warned that it might feel a bit uncomfortable if nothing else, especially since it was different fabrics, but he had promised to stay true to the original shape so that it wouldn't feel nearly as uncomfortable. I honestly couldn't wait to see it, let alone put it on, at the end of the night. Right now though, I'm just in need of _something_ to wear for the hunt.

"Hey, Jaune," I heard a familiar voice call. I turned to see Cardin walking up to me from his own room. "I heard you were out hunting Black Talons."

"Uh, yeah," I replied as soon as I realized what he was talking about. "Out in Wynndale. What about it? Do you need something?"

"Nailed it in one," he answered. "I _do_ need something from those birds. I was told by my teacher that Black Talon meat can make someone stronger, so I need some of that. I also need a few talons and a beak from the same birds for a new weapon." I felt a curious spark well up within me, but I pushed it to the side in favor of being kind right off the bat. I could ask after I offered my help.

"How much do you need," I asked him. He did a short uppercut to empty air with glee.

"I knew I could count on you," Cardin said happily. "I need about fifteen pounds of the meat for now, and don't be afraid about any specific type because I'll take it all. As for the talons and beaks, I think a burlap sack of talons and ten beaks should do the trick. If I need anything else, I'll let you know."

"Alright, I'll take care of it," I nodded. He punched the air again, and I knew I could safely ask about the curiosity now. "You said that you were making a new weapon?"

"Yup," he said shortly. "A spiked bone mace, one with a weakness effect. The Black Talons are perfect for that, but they aren't the best for making up the body of weapons I hear. That's why I'm asking about the beaks: those should hold up perfectly for a mace. Anyways, I'm kind of jealous of you, being able to go out on a hunt right now."

"Well, I _did_ get the tar kicked out of me over the last four months," I chuckled. "Actually, it's a bit personal for Magnus, specifically his wife. I'm just coming along for the ride because it'd be a good teaching opportunity for me."

"Ah, okay," said my adopted brother. "Well, I'm still gonna be jealous for a while, but you take care. And good luck out there, alright?" I nodded sharply. "Right. Guess I'd better let you head off now, huh?"

"Yeah, take care," I said, giving him a quick hug before I moved on with the rest of the goodbyes. Once those were said, I headed outside and got in the steam tractor. It was already prepped and ready to go, I had my coin pouch, and I was otherwise ready to go for the day. I started the boiler and headed out with the remaining steam in the tank. My first destination would be the homestead of my two teachers. After that, the armor and weapons smiths nearby their place.

It took me all of ten minutes to arrive at the homestead, but I was on my guard the whole time due to the little incident yesterday. I parked the carriage near the stables and got out to check in with the trio that would ride with me. I walked in quickly, not wanting to be any later than necessary…

Only to find that I might be too late already. The only person in the house was Cinder, and she was enjoying some imported Mistrali tea alone. I looked all around, trying to see if the others had already left. Their luggage was still here, so I doubted that they had left already, but they themselves were absent.

"Oh, they're out and about, picking up their armors from the smithies," Cinder notified me. "They'll be back shortly, rest assured."

Not a minute later, the missing persons walked back into the house. Magnus seemed more than pleased to see this, although he found my attire to be a bit amusing for some reason. Minor appeared envious, but he otherwise paid my appearance no bother. Atlanta seemed excited to see me already up and ready for the trip, although she didn't seem to register my lack of weapons and armor right away.

"Well, Mister Arc," Magnus said in his usual cool way. "I believe that you are in need of armor of some kind. Here, I picked it up while we were getting ours."

It wasn't quite what I was expecting. The jacket was a bit longer and darker than last time, the vest had visible ribs implying that the armor was more solid than I'm used to, the pants had greaves built into the legs and was now a much sleeker black with golden trim along the seams, and there was now a sleek brass pauldron on one of the arms. I was actually surprised at the new, sleeker design on the armor. Heck, the boots were obviously a new type of leather, one that I would assume was either Minotaur or Kelpie hide with some Stalker (giant scorpions) keratin rather than elk antler keratin.

"It was expertly crafted with some weaver's wool rather than the cotton you were wearing," Minor stated plainly. "The armor itself is a mixture of goathorn keratin and brass plating, giving it elasticity and toughness without reducing either one or leaving any gaps. The leather is just some mountain goatskin, as that's what he had on hand at the time. It does come with an undershirt and underpants, by the way, so no need for that… whatever it is."

"I think it looks kinda cute, in its own way," Atlanta mentioned, referring to my current pants. "Looks like something he could wear over the summer, if you asked me." Summer wear, huh? I bet I could pull something like that off. But what to call it? Hmm… eh, best leave it to the tradesmen.

"Well, go and try it on," Magnus invited. "We won't peek." He winked at me as I took my new armor and moved to another room to put it on. That process took me all of ten minutes at best, although I did have the excuse of correcting my hair after the wool made it unbearable to look at. I walked out wearing the new armor, with the jacket's tail hanging just below the curve of my trousers if you catch my drift. The pauldron clung tightly to my right shoulder, crowning it as my dominant arm and locking the sheath for my Fire Sword into place on my back. Speaking of which, those two sheaths were now proper back-drawn scabbards for the one-handed swords I tended to use, and they worked like charms. I would still summon the swords themselves, but the fact that they were no longer held by belt scabbards made me feel much more comfortable about my chances. I also had new fingerless gloves especially fitted for my hands, giving added protection without sacrificing dexterity. I could actually see the stats on these as well: **Leather Padded Woven Jacket (Armor 24, Weight 0.15, Movement 0.1), Keratin-Brass Armored Leather Vest (Armor 38, Weight 0.25, Movement 0.15, Combat Buff), Keratin-Brass Armored Woven Pants (Armor 28, Weight 0.2, Movement 0.15, Defense Buff), Keratin-Plated Leather Boots (Armor 12, Weight 0.05, Movement 0.05), Keratin-Brass Pauldron (Armor 16, Weight 0.05, Movement 0, Armor Buff).** Having the armor equipped gave me a set of comparatively heavy buffs: **Combat: Strength (increases combat effectiveness by 25%, effective Combat Strength by 2), Defense: Resistance (increases defensive Skill and item effectiveness by 15%, effective Resistance by 2), and Armor: Penetration (increases Total Armor by an additional 10% of Base Armor, decreases effective Piercing of incoming attacks by 2)**, meaning that I was currently, compared to my former armor and stats from before my training even began, a knight in shining armor compared to a young squire in chainmail. Not that I thought armor needed to shine, but it certainly looked cooler if it did.

"Well then, you clean up quite nicely," Magnus stated. "I'm actually quite jealous. I needed help fitting my armor on."

"Which is why you have me," Atlanta flirted. Magnus smiled sweetly at his wife and repeated her words before kissing her gently. Minor cleared his throat unhappily, getting the attention of the couple before anything else could happen. Not that anything would have happened, but apparently he's jealous.

"Oh right, there are children here," Magnus 'remembered' jokingly. "Minor, avert your gaze."

"Go break your bed already," Minor said angrily. Even I chuckled at his unhappiness.

"Well, before we head out, I have to pick something up right quick," I said. "It's on the way out of town towards Wynndale, shouldn't take me but five minutes. Gotta get the Binding Swords I ordered yesterday."

"Binding Swords? But you already have two swords, don't you," Cinder inquired. I shook my head.

"These two things are only Elemental Swords, not actual weapons," I replied. "They would be more effective if they were Enchanted Swords rather than Elemental ones, especially for this fight." Minor seemed content with this answer, if a bit upset.

"A fair point," Magnus noted. "Although, I don't think we have enough time or Element to fuse them." I had prepared for this mentally last night, and the preparations came back to me when he brought this up.

"Well, I kind of figured that we could use our final stop of today to take care of at least one of them," I answered his concerns. He nodded at this, seeing some logic in the idea. "And I packed more than enough Fire and Life Dust to do it." Magnus seemed surprised, although not as surprised as I thought he would be.

"Why did I see this plan of yours coming an hour before," he asked himself. "Alright, I can accept this. Just don't jump something like this on anyone else. They might not be as forgiving as I." I nodded, knowing all too well what that could do. Mom was not happy when I told her that they had added a new Grade to school that day, and explaining things didn't exactly help.

"Well, with all of the above taken care of, let us be on our way," Minor said with a modicum of excitement and a great deal of impatience. "I, for one, would like to start hunting these birds of prey already."

"Just so long as you remember who's driving," I commented.

"That would, of course, be myself," Magnus stated. I shook my head negatively.

"You and Minor need to stay in the back until the first stop," I said. "You need to reserve your strength for training me. I'll drive first so then you two can focus on arranging your training for today. After that, I guess it really just depends." Minor couldn't help but nod at this plan, although I think he was slightly upset about not getting to drive first.

"In that case, I suppose you should at least know where you're going," Magnus declared, pulling out a map with a pair of red 'X's on them. I took hold of the map and analyzed it deeply. He pointed to a spot close to a mountain range just off of the main road to Wynndale, a spot about three hours away. "I want this to be our first stop for the day. We will have training there, break for lunch, and continue on from there. If you are driving first, then we will have to deliberate who drives next after that."

"I will take the drive just after lunch," Minor offered almost immediately, excited for the chance to drive. Magnus nodded promptly.

"Then I will drive after the second break, just after supper," Magnus decided.

"And I'll take the last drive of the day," Atlanta claimed. No disagreements, I guess that means it's set.

"Alright," I said with a whispery exhale. "Is everyone packed?" I received three nods to this inquiry. "Everyone ready?" Another set of nods. "Just wanted to make sure. I have my tractor out front. It should fit all of us and our luggage, plus any extra loot we might gather while we're there."

We left before anything else could be said aside from some goodbyes, and I showed them all to the tractor and carriage. Magnus was most pleased with this, claiming that I had apparently thought of everything. Minor was surprised that I had thought this far ahead, saying something about teaching me combat tactics later on. Atlanta was just happy that I was kind enough to bring an extended carriage, although she did mention that there were now carriages with doors and roofs in development. I would have to look into that later, but for now I just wanted to get on the road, pick up my new Binding Swords, and start the three-day trip to Wynndale.

I turned on the boiler and let it heat up while I filled the water tank to the brim before helping the adults get their things into the back of the carriage. In total, about three luggage cases were of clothes and apparel. The rest were full of either food, weapons and munitions, or spare Dust charged with the various Elements and some Maga. I think I even saw one with a giant crossbow inside of it. These guys did not mess around with hunts like this, did they? Is this how bad a flock of Black Talon Harpies is? I really didn't want to think about it, but since it was my first hunt I doubt I would be able to truly get my mind off of it.

Much like I couldn't get my mind off of the potential cult on my tail. What if they're hunting me? What if they're stronger than Magnus? What if they're stronger than both brothers? Yeah, I'm a Paladin, but that doesn't mean I'm automatically the best in the world. Magnus proved that to me some time ago. Then again, they could be relatively weak, like that one mage from when Dad… nevermind. I don't want to think about it anymore.

Once all the things were packed and secured, all passengers were in their seats, and the boiler was working at full capacity, I hopped onto the open seat of the tractor and released the brake lock, easing off the brake and driving us around the cobbled pathway. The fastest that a steam tractor with no carriages has ever gone was 25 miles in one hour, but this one was weighed down with nearly a thousand pounds by my estimates, so I would assume that our top speed would be 19 miles every hour at best, 15 at worst given that we were moving on gravel and dirt for the most part. I pulled us out onto the street and let off the brakes fully, letting the vehicle gain speed using the power of steam and pressure. The machine sped off, and I felt a gentle breeze blowing past my face as we accelerated. I knew the direction I was taking us, and I had made sure last night that the tradesman I was going to would be on the way to Wynndale, or at least a town close to it like Squire Hill. He was on the edge of town, so I doubted that this detour would knock us too terribly off course.

We passed neighborhoods of tenants and blocks of businesses, parks and squares and galleries and gardens as we made our way to the blacksmith's little shop. The scenery was a mixture of green trees and lawns, red bricks and cream limestone, black slate and blue tile, slowly transforming into wood houses and log cabins that fit the decreasing density of houses as we traveled. About fifteen minutes later, we arrived at our destination: a dark brick hut with black slate roofing and a dark oaken door. There were four entire chimney stacks sticking out of the roof, each one made of a dark grey brick that fit the general theme of the construct. The place had a gravel pathway that happened to be wider than most due to its location and business. The shop inside wasn't actually a blacksmith's shop - it was actually a jack of all trades sort of smithy, with jewelers, blacksmiths, metal smiths, armor smiths, steam engineers, and so on all working within the brick walls.

I didn't bother stopping to stare at the scenery, as I knew I was on a time constraint. I opened the dark brown door and walked into the shop. Within there were waiting benches, tables for patrons, a bar with barstools, and a shop with hanging items that I couldn't even begin to count in my head. From great swords made of bone to crossbows made of copper, Minotaur horns and Mastodon ivory, enchanted daggers and coated arrows, golden cloaks to blackened steel helmets, this shack had it all. I wasn't here for souvenirs, not now. I was here for one specific purpose: to pick up the two Binding Swords I had ordered and paid for last night.

"'Ello, kid," the clerk said with a booming voice and a rough-sounding accent, staring down at me from his vantage point. His expression fell from casual to pure hatred in a split second when he saw my face. He was lucky that I didn't recognize him, else I'd have smacked the look right off of his face. "Oh, it's one of you blokes. What the bloody Hell do you want?" Oh, he's one of _those_ people, huh? A subscriber to the whole 'Fire is weak' crowd, is he? Joyous. Exactly the perfect way to start the day… why does this always happen to me?

"I came here to pick up an order," I answered his rough inquiry. "Two Binding Swords, paid in coin yesterday evening."

"We don't have any of those, bugga'," the clerk grumbled. His glare attempted to bore into my soul. "Not for the likes of you, anyways. Get lost, brat."

"Oi, what in the green pastures of Faybrook are ya doin', Klied," a man demanded in an angry tone. His accent was more Nordic than anything, implying that he was at least descended from folks from the Nord Lands to the far north of here. "Didn't Ah tell ya not to scare off me customers? We serve to everyone of all walks o' life, no exclusions or exceptions. Ah told ya this at least fifteen times before, an' what the Hell did Ah tell ya would happen after number sixteen, eh?"

"You told me to keep an eye on the store while you was gone, didn't ya?" the clerk defended himself. "You said that I should keep the bugga's away."

"Ah told ya to keep the bugs from the pantry, not chase off everyone who doesn't use Earth like ye do," the other man, who just now entered the room, growled angrily, seething red with a fury bitten back for the sake of his patrons. Standing a towering 8 feet tall at least, with long shaggy black hair and mint green skin, was a literal orc of a man. His mouth remained constantly open by a single cigar, as opposed to the common misconceived image of two fangs sticking out. He was as muscular as a Minotaur, with not a single bulge of fat on his green flesh. He had at least two tattoos on his arms, which really added to the huge, clean white shirt tied around his waist, the brown apron just underneath that, and the forest green pants he wore. Each of his fingers should have had black claws on the ends of them, but he had them trimmed and rounded off to the point where they just looked like normal human fingernails. His yellow eyes, on a backdrop of red sclera, bore into his employee's eyes with intimidating ease.

"But they're weak, you said so yourself - ."

"Ah said that they were weaker than _Ay_, ya stuck-up baldo," the orc manager and blacksmith growled angrily. "Ah'm a bloody orc, Ah can be stronger than anyone here. Including ye, apparently. Now what did Ah say would happen to ye if ya pulled this crap again?"

"C'mon, boss," Klied pleaded. "Gimme a second chance 'ere. I won't screw it up."

"Just like ye bucked up the last fifteen times?" the orc demanded. "Ah won't have it. Klied, yer fired. Pack yer bags an' get yer arse outta me stables. Come back in a week fer yer last coin, then Ah don't wanna see yer face ever again unless yer a customer."

Klied sighed, upset by this, and simply walked over to the back to pack his bags. The orc sighed, taking a short draw on his cigar.

"So," the manager said with a smile, exhaling smoke as he spoke. "What can we get fer ye, lad? Sorry about the bad words there, Klied was just bein' a pain in the backside fer a long time comin'."

"I came to pick up an order from yesterday evening," I repeated. "I paid for it then, too."

"Ah, okay," the orc realized, recognition lighting up his face more than his cigar did. "Eh, I'm bad with names, lad, so could ya gimme a name fer yer face?"

"Jaune," I replied. "Jaune Arc. Should I spell it out for you?"

"Aye, that would be a good idea," the orc said. "Me name's Rock, just in case ye forgot. Abbey Rock Castle."

"I do remember, Mr. Castle," I stated, a smile growing on my face. Unlike most orcs, who tend to be a bit more rough and serve in the heavier army units, Mr. Castle was one of the few who were nice enough to actually get a job, although his skillset tended to rely more on his strength and knowledge of the Elements than anything with Maga or a deft hand.

"Good on ye," Rock muttered, searching under the desk. "Now could ye spell out yer name fer me?"

"In orc?" I asked. A green hand rose and gave a thumbs up. "Jak, Ar, Una - ."

"Ah, found it," Rock exclaimed. "Yer name is the only one that starts with a Jak _an'_ a human Jay. Let me see here, you ordered the two Binding Swords, right?"

"Yeah, the ones for the Nexus-Grade Elemental Swords," I claimed. He rose to his full height and plopped the two swords on the counter. Each one was just as long as my own swords, shining in the morning sunlight. The metal seemed to swirl and sparkle on it's own, as if it were made of a fluid instead of a solid metal blade.

"Two Binding Swords, Tier III both of 'em," Rock introduced me. "Unfortunately, Ah couldn't do exactly as ye asked, lad. Yer swords, from when Ah asked to see 'em last night, were just below the threshold for a Tier III Binding, but too high for a Tier II to handle. Since there's no such thing as a Tier Two-an'-a-Half, Ah had to make ye do with a Tier III with a modification. Ah am willin' to do ya a favor though - Ah'll enchant yer blades into these babies fer free, since Ah know how."

"I dunno, I'm on a bit of a time crunch right now," I replied honestly. "I have a hunt in a few days, and I gotta head out before too long if we wanna get there in time." Rock made a knowing sigh as he nodded.

"Ah can usually do it in five, ten minutes tops," Rock mentioned. "Fer two swords from a Nexus, that won't be too much worse than any other weapon Ah've done. Actually, Ah'd say that an Elemental Sword from a Nexus is easier than one that isn't. Five minutes apiece, Ah'll get 'em together free o' charge."

"Free of charge," I inquired. "Do you usually charge a fee when you enchant weapons?"

"Depends on the weapon," Rock admitted. "Usually, Ah have people who wanna make better enchantments on their weapons but don't have an enchantable weapon on 'em, or don't have an enchantment with 'em. If Ah have to make a weapon or an enchantment from scratch, Ah charge ye b'cause it takes more time an' resources than Ah think it should. Fer ye, ya just bought a pair o' swords, an' ye have the enchantments in yer swords, so it shouldn't take me too long. No need to pay more than ya already have. Ya willin'?" I actually had to deliberate on this for a few extra, precious ticks of the grandfather clock on the wall. It _would_ save some time and Element, but I had no idea how much Element he would have to use to get it done, if any, and I didn't want to take more of his time than I needed to. Then again, it would be great to have more time to get accustomed to my new swords before the big hunt.

I finally broke for the enchantments here and now. No need to waste more time than necessary, or waste Element for no reason. I took Rock up on the offer, and handed him my Elemental Swords. He took another, cautious look at the blades to make sure he missed no details before he nodded to himself.

"Aye, it's as Ah thought," he declared. "Enchanting these to Binding Swords will take no extra Element, if ya know what yer doin'. I dunno who yer teacher is, but Ah doubt that he knows the right way to enchant a sword like these. No offense to him, o' course. Anyways, this'll take just a couple o' minutes apiece. Ah can take 'em to the back an' get 'em done that way, or Ah can take ye with me to the back an' show ya the process. Whadda ye prefer?"

"I'll err on the side of caution and come with you," I replied. "I'd rather make sure they don't get stolen, even if I trust you." The orc nodded.

"Wise play, kiddo," Rock complimented me. "Ye'll make a great Paladin someday, Ah can guarantee ya that much."

We snuck around to the back where his four separate forges were and came up to a table that was obviously too tall for a human to work at, let alone myself, but just tall enough for Rock to work in peace.

"Ah hope ye're payin' close attention to this here, b'cause it'll be over that quick," Mr. Castle warned. I nodded and watched my weapons with an intent gaze akin to a hawk eyeing its prey. By some mysterious means, he opened up the Elemental Swords one at a time like one might open a chest without a lock or handle, stuffing the Element itself into the Binding Sword it would belong to. Like the expert craftsman that he is, Mr. Castle wrapped the enchantment exterior of the now-hollow Elemental Swords around the surface of the Binding Swords they belonged to. With a table mallet enchanted with Maga from a Forge Mage, the orc craftsman tapped the weapons three times, infusing them with Maga and fusing the enchantments and Elements to the metals and permanently binding the three together. The whole process, as Abbey Rock suggested, took around five minutes. Many times faster than Magnus and Atlanta said they could do.

"See? Five minutes, free o' charge." I nodded to Rock, thanked him, and went on my way back to the steam tractor. Klied was out there on his mule, glaring daggers and silent death threats at me as he rode back to town. I could tell now, using my Stats Skill, that he was an Earth Mage. Considering that I had come here to get most of my armor the first time, I'm almost willing to bet that it was him who sent that Earth Sword my way yesterday. Then again, I really shouldn't assume anything. Regardless, it may be him who at least spread the word about me being a Paladin who uses a Fire Sword. Or used, as the case is now.

Speaking of which, I took a single moment to check out my new weapons. The swirling of the metal had frozen in place, now showing the primary colors of the Element contained within. The enchantments are a faintly brighter glow than the metal itself, indicating that they were true enchantments instead of basic ones. The stats on the weapons were just as incredible as the general appearance: **Steel Healing Sword Tier III (Piercing 42, Weight 4, Sturdiness 56, Element 125 Life, heals wielder passively), Steel Fire Sword Tier III (Piercing 44, Weight 4, Sturdiness 54, Element 126 Fire, increases effectiveness of Fire attacks by 65%, inflicts Burning debuff on targets with less than 50 Elemental Resistance).** Oh, _that's_ why they had to be Tier III. A Tier II can only hold a maximum of 100 Element, while a Tier III can hold 200. I wonder, since these are evolving enchantments, if and when I'll need a Tier IV upgrade. I also wonder what shape they'd take once I do.

The great thing about Enchanted and Elemental Weapons is that they don't need to be refilled with Element once they are created. They're like miniature Nexus, only they usually don't produce enough Element to increase how much they are made of. The ones I received from Volcan and the Hallowed Root apparently do, which is why they increased in power like they did. They still will, since the enchantments present on them are what allows them to do so.

"Jaune, are you done looking at your new toys or not," Minor called impatiently. "We have a hunting to do, you know."

"Right, I'm coming," I answered, sheathing the new swords and getting seated on the tractor. Before I could start it though, Magnus stopped me with a hand on my shoulder. The appearance of the weapons must've been strange enough for him to notice.

"Did you receive what you were looking for, or did they already have Element in them," he asked me.

"The Smith was actually kind enough to fuse them for me," I responded. "For free, at that. He said they would take him just a bit of time to do apiece, so I let him do it with me there."

"Then what took so long," he inquired. I really didn't want that to come up, but I was fine with it for now.

"The first clerk was giving me fits, but the owner took care of it and fired him," I stated. "The owner was actually the guy who forged these for me."

"He was an Earth Mage, right," Magnus thought aloud. I answered positively, unfortunately. "Did he attack you, or show hostility?"

"He tried to kick me out, refused to serve me."

"The clerk? I was talking about the smith."

"Oh, the smith was Mr. Castle, an orc. He was the guy I went to for my armor."

"Ah, so these are orc-made? That would explain the design, and how he bound the blades so quickly and efficiently. Orc smiths are incredibly talented, none are better besides Dwarves, if you asked me. A wise choice, you made."

I felt slightly proud of myself now, receiving a compliment from my teacher. I waited until everyone was back in the carriage before I got back on the tractor and reignited the heat coil. I waited just a moment for the boiler to heat back up before I released the lock and brakes, letting us head out again. Less than a minute later, we passed by a sign that informed us where the next three turns and off-roads would take us. Squire Hill, Redcap, Sylvania. None of these were what I needed. What I needed was the turnoff for Ridgewood, the town closest to the mountains Magnus spoke of. Actually, I wasn't sure if there was a fork for Wynndale or not, now that I thought of it. Maybe there was and I just missed it?

I kept us going on the right heading for the duration of my drive. I paid attention to the signs, made sure that I hit no holes or ditches, and kept to the far side for trade caravans and other passing travelers. I didn't particularly pay attention to the scenery when I was avoiding the potholes, but I made sure to at least glance at the areas we were passing as we drove by. We were going slowly enough that I think Atlanta was able to draw a stable picture of the nearby scenery as we passed. I myself noticed that several if not most of the folks I passed by were in horse-drawn carriages instead of steam-driven tractors. A majority of the horse carriages were fancy painted wood rather than steel and bulky or those splintered wooden excuses for carriages, driven by a well-dressed driver and beautiful horses with these amazing leather and iron harnesses. The ones that weren't decorated were owned by farmers and had copper or iron supports all along the framework, usually filled to the brim with foodstuffs or hay for livestock and beasts of burden. It was just as rare to find someone riding on horseback rather than via horse-drawn carriage or cart, but I did see one person riding on horseback on our way to the Wynndale route.

Speaking of the route itself, about two miles past the turn for Wynndale there was a detour for road work. They had a large barrel of hot tar, several carts full of gravel, and most of the workers were pouring the burning substance over the rocky surface. As we traveled along the rougher surface of the dirt path just to the side of the main road, I noticed that as the tar settled in over the gravel and cooled, the surface became much smoother looking and a bit glossy from a distance. By the time we were able to turn back onto the main road, I was only letting the tractor pull us at around 10 miles every hour. I led us back over the path and onto the tar path as gently as I could manage, but once we were over the ride was radically smoother. No bumps, no potholes, and very few horses. There were, however, several times more steam-drawn carriages, carts, and tractors on this road. They were all going significantly faster than they would on the dirt or gravel paths, and this made me wonder if I could do the same even if only a little. I eased further off the brakes, effectively releasing all restrictions on the engine. We were gradually accelerating to a much faster pace, keeping an even 22 miles by the time 7 minutes had passed. Yeah, it's slow. That's what happens as weight increases.

It wasn't long before I reached our next stop, only two hours after we got onto the tar and gravel road. Minor got out and did a few stretches, as did I, while the others got to work on fixing some actual lunch for us. Atlanta mentioned something about how Wynndale and a few nearby towns were so great with commerce that, to improve the trade routes for merchants and traders, the cities had begun to pave the roads for smoother travel and safer transit. They had considered adding guard rails for the vehicles, but travelers weren't going fast enough for that and there was too little risk to pay the extra coinage. A bit too much information, but it did give me a hint as to why this hunt was so important, specifically why the rewards were so high. I'd bet that a number of businesses would go bankrupt if they couldn't trade their wares for income so easily. I could go on, but it makes sense to me.

"Are you ready," Minor asked me, a hint of eagerness in his voice. I almost immediately had a bad feeling about this, but I swallowed the fears and nodded affirmatively. While my fears were never realized, Minor certainly drilled me heavily. The next hour was full of intense hand to hand combat, swift takedowns, improvements on my unarmed fighting arsenal, and a few tips and tricks on how to take down foes and threats without killing or harming them. I must've learned at least four Skills in that whole session, and not one of them was lethal. Needless to say, I was exhausted. Let me see, there was Basic Defense - which combined with Avoidance and Reflex to become Defense I - Enhanced Takedowns, and Armed Takedowns. I didn't master them, by no means could I have done so in an hour, but I do know enough to be somewhat effective. I felt a hard tug on my mind to learn the next part of Unarmed Combat, but I had exhausted my Endurance too much to continue without a break.

'_I need about fifteen pounds of the meat for now, and don't be afraid about any specific type because I'll take it all. As for the talons and beaks, I think a burlap sack of talons and ten beaks should do the trick._' I recalled what Cardin had asked me to do for him. I knew that he needed it for a mace, but what it would be for was worrisome. The meat as well was cause for concern, as it made me wonder about his training.

"Jaune," Minor tapped my shoulder. I turned to the Knight with a hint of curiosity. On his face was no longer excitement, only a stoic expression. He pointed out towards a single target: a black shadow, taking the form of a large wolf. "A Black Dire. Try not to move, even if you think you can take it. Let me move around, take it from the backside."

Minor rose slowly and started around the mighty wolf, silent as a gentle breeze in a large prairie. I, on the other hand, got a good look at the beast in the field. Turns out, it's actually a Darkness Guardian with hints of Life in the beast, a relatively weak creature even compared to me. Still, a Guardian can do a lot with a meager 15 Element, even with a bad combination. I remained stock still, entering a silent, unspoken staring match with the corrupted Elemental as Minor crept behind the beast. He had drawn his silver longsword and prepared to run the beast through.

Unfortunately, Minor could do no such thing, as the monster charged and ran at me. Only, it wasn't aiming for me, as its path would take it just past me. With a quick reality check, I realized that I wasn't its target. Athena was. It was after her Life Element, as well as the food she and Magnus were cooking. If the Black Dire managed to land a hit on her, we wouldn't have to worry about the hunt. We would have to worry about her health and wellbeing.

A quick assessment of the situation brought things to light for me as the Dire had reached a full sprint, too fast for Minor to physically keep up at a brisk 60 miles per hour. Minor was behind the monster, and even throwing a knife would be too slow to catch up. Athena was too focused on making lunch to notice the beast. Magnus, even though he had noticed the beast, was moving too slow and was too weighed down to do much. That left only myself, and I was unsure of my own ability to protect them. However, I did have an ace up my sleeve, one that I had yet to fully test out. Specifically, I had an ace on my back, hanging over my right shoulder.

I thrust out my right hand, drawing my new Fire Sword and, with my left hand on the pommel for support and stability, brought my blazing weapon up above my head and just to the left of center. I figured that the beast would try to jump over me if I got in its way, so I prepared for just that as I stepped into its path. In that time, the beast was lowering its body so that it could jump without stopping. I took a large step forward with my left foot, angling my body so that I could deliver an accurate, deadly downwards strike on its head. The Black Dire leapt. I swung.

_**WHOOM!**_ The wind gust caused by the Dire's jump finally hit me just before sword met snout. _**SHINK! HISS!**_ With one fluid motion, I brought my new steel blade down on the beast, whose chest would have just missed my head by a foot, or right above where the guard on my sword was at its highest. The sword quickly and easily cut through the soft sinews and fluffy fur on the Dire, doing its duty and simultaneously cutting and burning the wolf with a searing heat and the sound of a sizzling grill. In under a second, the growling Black Dire monster was bisected and cooked from the inside out with a quick swing of my Fire Sword. The two halves fell apart in midair, going around Magnus and his wife after hitting the ground and sliding for a few feet. Minor, Magnus, and myself were all surprised by this random encounter, more specifically about how quickly I had brought down this monster. I was honestly expecting the blade to get caught on its snout, giving it the chance to grind me into mince meat before anyone had the chance to do anything, but apparently using my new sword was the best choice to begin with.

I turned around in time to see the last of the scorched monster turn into black ash and blow away with the breeze, green mist evaporating into the air as the body disintegrated. I felt a decent increase in XP, around 50 worth, for slaying the beast once I had seen such a monster fall. I was slightly impressed, albeit disappointed that nothing had remained of the creature. It took me a moment or two to remember that the bodies of Guardians outside of the reach of their Nexus tend to evaporate like that. Since there has been no reported Darkness Nexus in many, many centuries, if ever, it was obvious that this Black Dire would evaporate. I just wanted to see if it had made any of that loot stuff Atlanta had told me about.

"Mitchell, what the Hell was that," Magnus cried fearfully, calling his brother by his real name. Atlanta shivered slightly before returning to the portable stove we had packed, keeping a watchful eye out for anything else thanks to that wake up call. I simply gazed at my weapon in awe, surprised by its impressive power. I realized at that point that I really should be careful with this weapon, or any of my other weapons now or in the future, so that I wouldn't accidentally kill someone. It was good that I was learning that nonlethal stuff from Minor now, else I would be pleading for him to teach me right now.

I noticed that I was shaking with excitement, though good or bad I couldn't tell, so to calm myself I focused on how much XP I had gotten in total today. There was just now obviously, with 50 XP between myself and Gary. _Quit calling me Gary, Brat!_ Then there was the 2 apiece from the four Skills I had learned, so a total of 58 so far. I didn't feel a stats increase, so I can assume that I didn't get anything from that. So where does that put myself and the Parasite? I would be at 481.99 of 790, a meager 308 XP from Level 22 with a marginal number left over. Gary, in total right now, will have taken 6,971.63 XP from me. Imagine what Level I would be at if I got all of that in one sitting. It would probably hurt, but it's a great ponder for the day.

"I have no idea," Minor howled back as he returned. "I could've sworn that the beast was looking at Jaune. I had no idea it was eyeing your woman. Then again, she does have more Life in her than Jaune, hundreds more to be accurate. Plus the Element and weapons in the trunk of the carriage, but that's harder to get to and a novice Dire like that would've known it." By now, Minor was no longer shouting as he was right next to his brother. Magnus sighed, pinching his brow.

"While you're training Jaune, please do keep a sharp eye out rather than not," the older brother pleaded. "We don't need any injuries out here, especially before we get to the hunting grounds. Regardless, is everyone alright?"

"Well, Jaune seems a bit out of it, but can you honestly blame him? First time using his new sword, first creature killed, first _Guardian_ killed, first time actually protecting someone, a few others I'm certain. He'll be fine, I'm sure."

"All the same, being unfocused isn't something I want him to be," Magnus stated. "Not right after a kill, especially not with threats around us."

"Lesson time," Minor asked. I wasn't totally focused on them, rather trying to stop the shaking in my hands. I returned my Fire Sword back to its sheath, not expecting Minor to take me by surprise. He tackled me to the ground and pointed a sharp dagger at my throat; even though the blade wasn't touching me, I still felt the fear and shock coursing through my veins.

"Jaune Arc, you must learn to stay aware of your surroundings," Minor chastised. "If you don't, anyone could easily end your life here and now. I hope this is the only time I have to do this for you to get it, given that you are quite intelligent and an astute learner."

Minor rose, offering me a hand up. I accepted it, and he pulled me up.

"Are you alright, Jaune," Magnus asked worriedly. I nodded, now focusing on the real world. "Good. I was worried that that wolf had scared you out of your wits." I stuttered a bit with my first word.

"I was just trying to get my hand to quit shaking," I answered him. Magnus nodded, understanding.

"Warrior's Shiver," Magnus identified. "Seems you got excited about a fight that wasn't to be. Don't worry, it happens to the best of us. You're simply excited, is all."

"Lunch," Atlanta called. Us guys all came right over and enjoyed our meal before we would have to get back on the roads again.

* * *

The next time we stopped, the one for dinner and Magnus's part of my training, was rather close to Wynndale. We would actually be stopping in a nearby town only 30 miles out from the city to lodge and refuel. We still had 3 more hours of driving on the paved road before we got there, so it was unlikely that we would actually get there today. Then again, it was roughly 5 in the afternoon, so maybe? No, another hour and a half of resting plus the 3 hours driving is already dangerous enough. We would stop in Riverside for the night, then finish the drive, do our hunt, and stay in the city until our hunt was done and we made sure that Atlanta's family here was okay.

"I must say, I was not expecting us to be so close so soon," Magnus admitted. "Perhaps Wynndale is closer than I thought. Or maybe Cinder was wrong?"

"Oh, she was right," Minor corrected his brother. "She came by a cargo carriage, specifically a more or less outdated freight hauler owned by some northern company. Civilian transports might be less powerful, but they're also smaller and usually carry less. Honestly, were it not for the paved roads we would still be a day away by day's end."

"So your girlfriend was wrong," Magnus questioned jokingly. Minor glared at the Paladin. Magnus simply unpacked some of the Fire Dust and Maga Dust to prepare for my training.

"She was not wrong," Minor growled, emphasizing the negative word in the phrase. "She simply did not experience the travels the same way in which we are. Inexperienced she may be, but she is not wrong."

"Oh, relax brother," Magnus sighed, putting the Dust in front of me. "I was simply toying with you." Minor simply huffed and turned away with a bit of a pout.

My lesson from Magnus today would be a minor enhancement to my combat abilities, specifically an addition to my combat Spells. Over the course of an hour, I had gotten the basics of the basic Fire Punch and Fire Guard Spells, two vital combat-oriented skills necessary for any Mage or Paladin worth his Maga. The basis was simple: coat your fist with fire, use your Maga to control and enhance it, and either throw a punch or raise your guard. It was the execution that was nailing me, since I had to first coat my fist in a thin layer of Maga since I had no hand protection. Eventually, I had the genius idea to mix some Life into the mix and use Living Flames to protect and assault at the same time, rather than simply burning Maga and my foes. Magnus caught onto this very quickly and chastised me briefly, wanting me to be able to use this basis for any and all combinations of Element, so I quite reluctantly began to train my Maga to coat my hands and forearms at a moment's notice. It was the latter-most bit that I spent the most time on training, as it was supposedly a vital technique to know.

"Dinner," Atlanta called, and Magnus let me stop training to eat. It was the same thing we had had for lunch: sandwiches, specifically some Golden Bull brisket sandwiches. Nothing special on it or anything, as any vegetables would rot in the temperatures and frost coils were too expensive for the most part. Cured meat and some bread would have to do for now.

"So how goes his training, brother," Minor asked over supper. Magnus sighed.

"Not well, Minor," Magnus stated. "It seems as though Fire Punch and Guard are too difficult for him without Life or Maga." Minor tried to suppress his laughter while Magnus took his turn to glare at the younger brother. "Are you amused by my bad teaching?"

"No, not at all, but," Minor wheezed. He caught his breath before he continued with a damning inquiry: "Isn't Maga Punch and Guard to come first and foremost?"

Magnus took a moment to think about that question, narrowing his eyes at his brother before the dynamo seemingly caught the gearbox and ignited the bulb. His eyes shot wide open in realization at his blunder, which I had no idea about.

"Oh, bother," Magnus groaned, resting his face in his hands in shame. "How could I have forgotten?"

"If you would practice the basics more often, perhaps you would remember," Minor suggested. Atlanta shook her head.

"He forgets things when he's stressed out," she informed, reminding in the case of Minor. "I guess that Dire really spooked him."

Magnus snapped his head back up, somewhat spooking _me_ in the process.

"Jaune, scratch your training with Fire Punch and Guard," Magnus ordered. "We will be starting with Maga Punch and Guard. It seems as though I have forgotten an integral part of your training, and for that I ask that you pardon me. On our way there, please continue to practice wrapping your hands with Maga. After that, I will teach you to shape it."

* * *

I had done as Magnus asked. My Maga had expanded slightly, rising by one on the way up as a result of my practice. Despite having run out of Maga twice, once just before we stopped to switch Magnus for Atlanta and to stretch our stiff limbs, I was pretty much topped back up once we had gotten back into the vehicle. I had pretty much gotten a pretty good hold of giving my hands and arms a 'Maga gauntlet' as I had called them very quickly, procuring one in around a second, usually forming the coat in just over a second. As such, Magnus had little issue getting me to where he wanted me to be.

He proceeded to tell me to form the Maga I had procured just as quickly as I brought it forth, which I did over the course of the three hours in between breaks to recuperate.

The first thing he told me to form around my hands were spiked knuckles with as much Maga as I could muster put into the spikes themselves. It took me about two hours to wrap my head around it, but I managed to get some sort of a hang of it. By the time he told me to stop, I had managed to form five two-inch spikes over my knuckles, one spike over each knuckle. I was certain that I could do the same with claws, simply changing the location of the spikes and their general shape to a more curved spear of energy than a conical slab of Maga. The Maga Guard wasn't that much different in terms of Maga use, only changing the shape and how concentrated and dense the energy was. The most I could form was a gauntlet twice as wide as my arm was thick, and that was difficult to maintain on a short notice. It was easy to keep my arms coated, but so hard to keep it locked to a wide shape. Magnus was slightly concerned about this, but he was certain that I would improve with practice and Levels.

Speaking of the other Paladin, he had managed to calm himself over the near loss of his wife, truly apologizing for attempting to teach me things too advanced for my skills. I forgave him and moved on with getting a semi-solid grasp on my new Spells.

* * *

Our final stop of the day brought us to a small town close to Wynndale, the Castle Ridge Inn towards the edge of Riverside. We filled the water tank, checked the heat coil, and turned in for the night. Just before bed, I mentally figured out how much XP I had gained throughout the day.

_58 from the first stop, none from the second, a quarter from the third,_ I tallied. _Plus another four from the last one, meaning just now. I must be at 485 by now… no, it would be 486 and change. I'll get my Passive once I go to sleep, so I should be at 486.4 when I wake up tomorrow._

_So where would that put me,_ Gary asked impatiently, as if he were an employee demanding his wages. I really didn't want to think about it, but if it meant I would be able to know how much I'd get back when I kill the little beast I'd be glad to figure it out.

_You would get the four more, plus another near quarter_, I grumbled in my head. _Figure it out from there, _Gary_._

In reality, it would be about 6,976.22 XP since day one, so I had a pretty good grasp of how much I would get from the beast if that's how it worked. I wondered if he had any loot inside of him, despite his small size? If so, would it be lodged inside of me when he goes _poof_, or would it pop out as soon as he popped?

_Don't refer to me as a 'he'_, Gary griped. _I have no gender, let alone offspring_.

_All the more reason to get rid of you_, I grumbled. _The thought of you reproducing is enough to make me sick._

_Be silent, miserable creature_.

_Current XP: 486.4 of 790. XP to Gary: 6,976.22. Training time: 4 months, 6 days._

**End**

* * *

**A/N: Sorry about the delay, guys. I had a few distractions, let us say. One of those is a few bills I have to worry about. I need to figure out one of them, then figure out a way to get paid. I'm not making any income with my current work, which is just a little family shindig so not enough to pay taxes on, but still. That was all that was between my savings (for college and new computer parts, mind you) and my increasingly expensive bills. I'm now actively hunting for jobs with a crappy computer, misused skills due to the lack of certain necessity for said skills, and a low sense of self-esteem.**

**And speaking of, I've hit a low point. Reality has hit me like a train recently, the day this was posted to be accurate, and I'm not exactly in the best position right now. I've been praying, but things kept getting worse behind my focus until finally the floodgates opened and lo and behold, I have so much stress that I literally have no idea what I want to do anymore. I mean, I know what I **_**want**_ **to do, but I have no idea what the 'man upstairs' has planned for me, and I don't like going against His grain simply due to sheer respect. I just can't deal with all of it in one sitting. If I slow down a bit here and there, that's probably why. Then again, I may end up speeding up a bit due to the nature of the job I'm looking into. Heck, if it pays the bills enough, I may end up getting on a sort of schedule by the time summer ends.**

**Honestly though, I have a bunch on my plate right now. Between family issues, family reunions, family events, and way too damn much stress in general, I really can't be sure how my ability to write is gonna be affected. I just ask that you guys forgive any extreme delays or Author's Note rants, or any rushed segments like the end of this one.**

**Outside of any leaking stress and issues, I really hope you guys like this chapter, even if it is pretty long. If you have any advice, comments, questions, concerns, or constructive criticisms, go ahead and let me know in a Review. I do accept PM's, so if you have something private to say to me or you just want to talk more often than just once a chapter, go ahead and send me a message. Thanks for reading, you guys.**

**Now that that's over with, I gotta sign off. I'm finishing this at night, and I have notifications that are basically screaming at me. I'll be back soon, but for now this is General Texas, signing out.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey guys. Sorry for the downer mood right off the bat, but I have a damn good reason. See, things happened that I'm not qualified to talk about because I'm not a doctor. Nothing physically to me, but my brother wasn't so lucky. He took a fall in band around mid-May, on a Friday no less, and he ended up fracturing some bones around his knee. One of his tendons also snapped off, so he can't move his right calf for the time being. I prayed the whole night long the night after, asking that he be healed quickly, but… well, let's just say that I was upset with God for the time being. Then things kept going wrong and getting worse, so I am not quite in the best of moods right now. I really don't want those emotions to get mixed into this or any story, but for now that's just not happening. My little brother is in the hospital, getting x-rays, MRI's, CT scans, and lab tests galore all just weeks before school lets out. On top of that, my parents are going on a vacation up north for about a week, I have no income, and I can't drive so that I can really get a job. All in all, my life is really shitty right now (the day I started writing this, a bird actually shit on my forehead, so my day was quite literally shitty), so forgive me if I get snarky or outright snap.**

**In other news, a Review from Bomberguy789 said something that almost caught me off guard: Cinder is acting OOC. To that I have to say this: is she really though? I mean, she fooled the cast in canon by acting friendly and cool, right? Besides, the POV isn't omniscient, and neither is Jaune. Jaune is trusting of Magnus and Minor, and Minor is dating her, Magnus doesn't know, and for all we know she could actually be jealous of Atlanta. If anything changed, it would be her being a Maiden and meeting Salem in the first place. Not trying to be rude in saying any of that, but I am definitely wanting to remind you that not all people are as open as Jaune and Cardin. Actually, the two of them might soon start closing off a little.**

**Another thing the same Review said was that there should be more canon characters introduced outside of Cardin, Cinder, and Saffron (yes, she is here, and so is Terra). And you're right. I do need to introduce more canon characters. I may end up doing so rather soon, so keep an eye out for that.**

**Well, that about sums up what I wanted to say. As always, I don't own RWBY, I'm not a part of RT, and I don't plan on either one. What I do plan on is more shit going downhill, mostly because that's where I'm headed right now. All that said, enjoy the chapter.**

* * *

**Jaune Arc (14)**

**Level 21 Paladin (Unaligned)**

**Passive XP: 0.16 per day**

**XP to Level 22: 486.4 of 790**

**XP taken by Gary: 6,976.22**

**Base Armor: 52**

**Stats**

**Strength: 106 (Labor 45, Combat 83, Force 46, Control 60), Intelligence: 98 (Wisdom 57, Intelligence 54, Technical 35, Strategy 46), Constitution: 121 (Immunity 90, Endurance 124, Tolerance 112, Maga 158), Agility: 150 (Balance 50, Flexibility 48, Speed 52), Social: 101 (Emotion 97, Compassion 99), Resistance: 158 (Physical 158, Magical 156, Elemental 156)**

**Equipment**

**Leather Padded Woven Jacket (Armor 24, Weight 0.15, Movement 0.1), Keratin-Brass Armored Leather Vest (Armor 38, Weight 0.25, Movement 0.15, Combat Buff), Keratin-Brass Armored Woven Pants (Armor 28, Weight 0.2, Movement 0.15, Defense Buff), Keratin-Plated Leather Boots (Armor 12, Weight 0.05, Movement 0.05), Keratin-Brass Pauldron (Armor 16, Weight 0.05, Movement 0, Armor Buff), Steel Healing Sword Tier III (Piercing 42, Weight 4, Sturdiness 56, Element 125 Life, heals wielder passively), Steel Fire Sword Tier III (Piercing 44, Weight 4, Sturdiness 54, Element 126 Fire, increases effectiveness of Fire attacks by 65%, inflicts Burning debuff on targets with less than 50 Elemental Resistance)**

**Total Armor: 83 (52.75 plus 23.6 plus 10%)**

**Abilities**

**Element Seeker, Burning Wrath (New Discovery)**

**Skills**

**Nature's Eye, Dust Acquisition, Fishing III, Hunting III, Survival III, Cooking II (Self-Taught), Metalworking II, Weapons Basics III, Unarmed Combat IV, Defense I, Enhanced Takedowns, Armed Takedowns, Elemental Knowledge VI, Fire Efficiency, Life Efficiency, Maga Efficiency, Stats, Pathfinder, Mountain Climber (Chapter 6, just now remembered it), Elemental Summon, Seeker (Self-Taught), Rapid Fire, Blade Summon (Self-Taught), Culture I, Dual Cast, Dynamo Repair Basics**

**Spells**

**Living Fireball III, Living Flame Pulse III, Flamethrower II, Flame Missile, Flame Dispel, Flame Wings, Flame Embodiment, Meteoric Punch, Sulfur Blast, Pyre, Basalt Skin, Healer III, Root Punch, Cedar Oak, Sturdy Roots, Forest Camouflage, Peat Bomb, Lightning Bolt II, Maga Punch, Maga Guard**

**Buffs**

**Weakness, Second Opinion, XP Drain, Symbiotic Binds, Nature's Grace, Comfortable, Puberty, Recent Tragedy, Training (Jaune is improving rapidly under specialized tutelage and is more receptive to new Skills and stats increases which come from his mentors), Recent Happiness, New Discovery (Jaune has discovered more about one of his Abilities, but it will take him time to adjust to it), Combat: Strength (increases combat effectiveness by 25%, effective Combat Strength by 2), Defense: Resistance (increases defensive Skill and item effectiveness by 15%, effective Resistance by 2), Armor: Penetration (increases Total Armor by an additional 10% of Base Armor, decreases effective Piercing of incoming attacks by 2)**

**Class Buffs: Healing Aura, Defensive Aura**

**Active Quests: Cardin (15 pounds Harpy meat; Black Talon Harpy Talons, 1 20 pound sack; Black Talon Harpy Beaks, 10)**

* * *

I awoke with the coming of the dawn, at nearly 7 in the morning, just a bit before everyone else. Especially Magnus and Atlanta, but even Minor rose a few minutes after I did. Minor had offered to wake his sibling and in-law while I got dressed for the day, which I wasn't about to risk arguing against. Minor disappeared into the room next to ours, as he and I shared a room, and I didn't bother trying to listen in on what was being said and done.

It took me a moment or two to remember that my equipment had changed the day before, then another moment to recall their new appearances. After that, it was only a few minutes before I was able to equip my new armor. The only real struggle was the pauldron, as it had a pair of straps to it that I was unable to use both hands to tighten. Luckily there was only one, and it was relatively small and easy to fasten the belts around my arm and shoulder.

_I really need to make that snap onto my jacket or something_, I couldn't help but think. _Make my life a little easier in the future._

Having equipped my armor, I strapped the scabbards to my back having already sheathed the blades in their respective places. Now prepared for the day and hunt, I decided to head outside and do some last minute practice with Minor while Magnus and Atlanta got ready. During our half-hour spar, I decided to try and utilize some of the Skills I had learned the day prior. This way, I could hone my new abilities and sharpen my senses to use them properly and appropriately while in combat. Even if Minor was going easy on me, he seemed to have the same idea and pressured me into using those very Skills to keep going in the fight. I had packed enough Dust in the travel chest to completely refill Magnus's Maga and Elements several times over.

As we sparred, I had started to grow accustomed to my new armor and weapons. A good thing, as we were about to head into a literally swarming threat. I made sure to pack four bags for loot and enough antidotes to keep us alive just in case. We had also packed four burlap sacks and knives, which we would use to hold the Harpy heads and loot the monsters respectively. Minor had packed enough weapons to arm a small regiment, which confused and disturbed me due to how little he needed to be deadly.

"Parry left," Minor corrected me when I had slipped up. "And keep up, young man. You're getting slower."

"These are heavier than what I'm used to," I admitted, twirling one of the swords in my hand a bit slower than usual and dipping it a bit low to prove my point. "I'll have to get used to them."

"Well, now's your last chance before you enter true combat," Minor warned. "Know thy enemy and prepare accordingly, that _is_ the phrase, but know thyself and train accordingly is just as necessary."

"I know," I nodded, getting into an appropriate stance for our next and last round. Minor did the same. "Which is what we're doing here and now, right? Now I can actually dual-wield again, as opposed to earlier."

"True as this may be, you're still slow and lacking power," Minor mentioned. He swung first, rapidly closing the distance between us and swinging his two-hander at my head. I raised my swords as quickly as I could, which was now just barely slower than before we left. "Much like yesterday, might I add."

"I'm almost back to where I was, aren't I," I grunted, pushing him back before launching my own offensive. My speed was just a bit slow, though the power behind it was greater due to the weight. I was simply holding back the Elements in the weapons, reducing the power they could put forth. "Besides, I'm holding back."

"A bad idea in a fight," Minor stated bluntly, pushing me back and parrying a few of my strikes. "Especially when your foe is doing just the same and you tell him."

"You don't use Element," I stated plainly. "I should get used to the same. I won't always have access to it."

"A wise observation, but you should always use what you have," he replied. He threw me back, jumping high and going for an aerial strike. Seizing this opening, I rolled out of the way and turned with blinding speeds. Burning Wrath had activated, and the swords were now glowing with their Elements as I had loosened my restrictions on them. Time to push my limits as far as I can. I performed a dual upwards slash, red and green energies following my blades as I swung them to the skies.

Minor saw this coming and adjusted his course slightly in midair, utilizing the little Element he bore with a small explosion off his side. He rolled into the fall and twisted as quickly as I had. I quickly blocked his attack, going for another strike in an attempt to catch him off guard. He blocked this with the same sword, the two-hander, and swiftly tried to disarm me, successfully knocking my Fire Sword out of my hand. I called my sword back to me just as quickly as I lost it and blocked his next attack with a reverse grip. He had cut loose a little as well, evidently.

We kept this up for a bit, parrying and blocking, disarming and rearming, attacking and defending, until my Ability ran its course and the Element ran dry. Minor was breathing somewhat heavily, but I was outright exhausted. He disarmed me with ease and held his sword at my throat. He had won.

"Well played, my disciple, but you are not ready to face me evenly yet," Minor congratulated and warned me. "At your current rate, you might stand a chance in a few months, maybe a year at most."

"Comforting," I commented through exhausted breaths. There was no way that I would be able to face him with my level of stamina, especially not alone or serious. I could tell that he was holding himself back the whole time, no matter how little or much.

"Remember, I am a master of the Class," Minor reassured me. "In fact, I sense a Class change soon. Holding your own as you did was no small feat, let me assure you."

"Even more comforting," I said sarcastically between huffs. Magnus and Atlanta finally made their way down to the gravel path on which we parked the steam tractor. I sorely made my way to the carriage where I could easily regain my stamina on the way to the hunting site. Magnus took the wheel, to which Minor had no objections as he had experienced firsthand how exhausting and boring it could get. Atlanta practiced her Maga control as a warmup, getting ready for the upcoming hunt. Magnus did the same, twirling a knife in his hand as he did so to hone his swordsmanship in preparation.

About an hour of driving passed before I caught a glimpse of the ugliest bird I have ever seen. It was just as Magnus described, only it looked like it had gone diving through a garbage can, swam through a sewer, gotten shocked with a dynamo, and was beaten stupid at least three times, all before flying parallel to our vehicle. This bird looked so ugly I thought it was something completely different. Utterly revolting, let me tell you.

"Harpy turf," Magnus sighed, stopping his knife play. "We are close. Another few miles, another few minutes, and we will arrive in Wynndale."

"Another two miles before we reach the city entrance, actually," Atlanta corrected. "These birds are close. Closer than I thought."

"Are you sure," Magnus asked his wife. She nodded. "Were we wrong about the path?"

"No, I just drove a little more than I thought I would," she answered.

"Do all of those things look like that one did," I whimpered out a question, disgusted by the sight of that horrid bird. Magnus shook his head.

"No, that one simply fell out of the nest at a young age by the looks of it," Magnus answered. "It happens to those Harpies in particular. Especially those Harpies." I wanted to lose my lunch. I didn't have any lunch to lose. I wanted to pass out. Magnus would wake me up. I wanted to die. Atlanta would heal me. I wanted to jump out. That bird would come back. _Ugh_.

* * *

Wynndale was a beautiful town, a rich riverside port city surrounded by lush plains and open skies all around. The building we were in was just as grand, with shiny cream bricks, pale white cement, marble pillars and floors, and shiny golden lights. The people were fantastically fancy, and quite accepting of all walks of life. It was their arsenal that was just… pitiful. _I_ had a better active combat wardrobe than they did, and I'm a rookie. If a _rookie_ has better equipment and training than you do, you must either be lazy or strapped for everything.

"Don't worry about their weapons situation," Minor assured me. "I had brought some basic weapons for them, so they should be better able to protect against foes and monsters now. So long as they don't sell the blasted things again, that is."

That strangely made sense to me. I mean, this _is_ a commercial powerhouse, so selling things and lacking a military is par for the course. Why _wouldn't_ they sell their weapons for a quick coin? Then again, not protecting that money is just as stupid, but a grand economy such as this might not want to scare off investors with a militia, no matter how big or small. If they were wealthy enough to pay hunters to protect them, on the other hand, that would be a huge painted sign on the wall screaming 'invest in me'. Not a dumb play, but not incredibly wise either.

"So you're taking on the Black Talon Bounty," the quest manager asked Magnus. The man nodded proudly. "Okay, we'll need about ten coins apiece for insurance purposes. We've had runners before, so if you want the money back we'll need you to deliver at least five heads for each of you." Magnus paid the amount in full up front. We each received badges for our ability to hunt, signifying that we were now on the hunt. I had mine fastened to the lapel of my jacket. We were able to quickly leave and head to the fields of the hunting grounds, as the questing office was just within the city limits.

We unpacked our weaponry from the trunk of the carriage, leaving the vehicle itself behind to keep it from getting destroyed by Harpies. In other words, we were going on foot. All the better for me to get a view of the surroundings. I was amazed by the wealth of the outer city, as it was all beautiful bricks and pale cement, marble and yellow lights. Just how much better was the inner city, I wonder?

_I smell those birds from here_, Gary warned, hungry for XP. _Sharp eyes out._

_How can you smell them when you're inside of me_, I asked. It was then that the scent of liquid death and condensed flatulence hit me like a truck, mixing with the smell of fertilizer and coal smoke to make an ungodly scent that I wanted to cut my nose off for. _Oh God, I smell it. Kill it with fire, oh God._

I gagged at the smell, not expecting such a horrid smell from a number of small birds. We entered a clearing, wherein the wretched scent of dying death was the strongest. I took a look through squinting eyes. Said eyes went wide as I forgot about the smell right then and there. Over a hundred golden-white pairs of eyes stared back at me, all of them connected to Black Talon Harpies.

"Oh," I muttered. The birds kept staring. "Infestation. Small monster culling. Small reward, big numbers. Got it."

"'Infestation'," Minor repeated. "Try 'overpopulation'. We aren't here to kill them _all_. A couple may live for now."

"Black Talon Harpy loot sells quite abundantly," Magnus mentioned. "Especially here at this time of year."

"Good to know," I muttered. The birds kept staring. I stared back. Tension built in the air as I slowly raised my hands so that I could summon my swords. The birds noticed that we had slowly gotten into combat stances to keep from provoking them, but made no moves.

Suddenly, a small female Harpy cried loudly from amidst their numbers, and the whole flock took flight and swarmed around us like some sick tornado. I swung my hands down and out, bringing my blades to my hands. Minor drew his twin arming swords, Magnus readied his sword and shield, and Atlanta twirled her bladed staff like a flag dancer. The four of us were ready when the first of the birds came in, with all of us either blocking or slashing away at the dumb hawks.

We were quickly forced to separate, as there wasn't enough room for all of us in one spot to fight without getting in each other's ways. Atlanta in particular needed much more space given her chosen weapon, but she surprisingly didn't use many Spells during the fight - a few major Healing Spells, a couple of Root Walls, maybe an Antidote once or twice, but she kept the Spells to a minimum regardless. Minor was quick to hack down the birds, spinning like a sick children's toy as he decapitated and bisected the Harpies with such ease that one might think he was toying with them; he was actually taking steps and spinning his swords, for the record, not just twirling on his heel like a twisted ballerina. Magnus played it safe, bashing and blocking just as often as he slashed and hacked, and although his Spells were few and far between they were insanely powerful like Detonate and Soundwave.

I got comparatively lucky. The Harpies I fought were lower Levels than my own, despite having sheer numbers on me. They also didn't seem to recognize that I was a major threat to them given my two swords - one of which glowed a vicious red and emitted embers from along the sharp edges - and rushed in slowly and one at a time. I was quick to chop them down, although I honestly didn't expect their bones to be so difficult to cut through given the number of times I heard a crunch rather than a singing sword. And I was constantly aiming for the heads and wings, if that says anything about these birds. Luckily, the tiny female didn't bother joining the fray, as she was too young to fight. Unluckily, a couple of the toughest birds stayed close to the female, meaning that either we came to them or we left them alone.

I tried to bring myself to cut down the birds without thinking too much on it, but with each bird I slew I couldn't help but recall a memory of my father. It hurt me each time I remembered him, realizing that he was gone. Why it was happening I had no idea, I just knew that it was. Perhaps it was too fresh of a memory to let go? I had no idea, but I knew that it was getting in the way of my fighting. As such, I suppressed the onslaught of memories as best I could so that I could focus on the fight at hand. Trust me, it was hard. I don't think I've ever done anything harder in my life.

After taking down a couple dozen Black Talons, I finally decided that I was being too overwhelmed by the memories to truly focus and instead used the Dual Cast Skill to form a Fireball and a Flame Missile with a Lightning core. The birds all saw it and were immediately drawn to me like moths to a flame. I shot the Fireball as high up as I could get it. Due to the Fireball being the brightest Spell, the stupid lower Level Harpies flocked towards the Fire Spell while ignoring the greater threat.

The Fireball faded ten seconds into its ascent, and the Harpies stupidly paused in mid air to look for the glowing orb. I launched the Flame Missile into the midst of them, telling it to detonate once it was within a foot of even one of the small monsters. The rocket hurtled towards the flock as they began a slow descent, attracting their attention. The closest one noticed the danger the rocket posed a split second too late, and the rocket detonated only four seconds from launch. The Lightning was released in its violent discharge, blasting its energy into the poor bird that set it off. The bird was struck in the heart, killing it instantly. A tense, slow second passed as the bird stopped flying, almost falling too far to send the charge to another bird. I was almost worried that it wouldn't kill any more prey than the one, which had caused only one small flicker of a memory to show itself.

Then the whole sky grew dark in an instant as two smaller bolts of energy passed from the chest of the first bird to two other Harpies. The energy burned their hearts as well before moving on to another five, repeating the process in a brilliant continuous impromptu Lightning Bolt. Any Harpies not killed by the thunderous climax were stunned too bad to fly, hurtling to a certain death at the clearing floor. Bodies rained down from the sky like hail during a freezing rainstorm, and I felt no hauntings from the memories of my father. I made the nearly fatal error of believing nothing to come of it, and took a step forward.

Then the memories flooded forth as though the dam had broken, bursting forth with enough force to send me to my knees. Even though my father had died to the Earth Element, I was affected by those memories upon seeing the weakest monsters fall into Death's Embrace. I let loose a tiny grunt of torment as the memories hounded me to no end. In this time, my vision and senses were blocked off by memories of a simpler, easier, kinder time. I desperately pushed back against the tide, but it pushed back too hard to resist it. I struggled to get back on my feet, but I felt nothing. I saw nothing, I _heard_ nothing. I was outright overwhelmed. I could tell that Magnus was trying to get my attention, but to no avail in my condition.

The memory surge ended after what seemed like my whole lifetime, even though it was less than a minute after the Lightning exploded. I was ready to praise the creator when I heard Magnus calling for me.

"Jaune, are you alright," he cried, pushing a bird off of his blade. His eyes locked onto me. "Speak to me, boy!"

"Yeah, I'm okay," I replied as soon as I was able to form words again. "Just had a small accident, is all."

"Atlanta just blasted two Harpies away from you, and you call that small?" Minor commented. "That _had_ to be major, no matter what it was."

"I just…," I had started, trying to phrase it in the best way. The Harpies were either dead or retreating, the female among the latter. Only one of her guards didn't survive, the other one escaping with her. "Each time I killed one, a memory of my father would force its way to the surface. I thought that would stop if I ignored it, or pushed it down, but then I did that whole Lightning thing. Then a whole surge of memories took over, and I couldn't move. I couldn't speak, I couldn't think, I couldn't see, I couldn't hear anything, I couldn't even focus on any one memory, let alone an anchor point." Magnus hummed, stroking his stubble. "I'm sorry I let those Harpies get so close, Magnus."

The humming continued for a moment.

"Tell you what," Magnus finally said after a couple of seconds of thought. "We can talk about it later. For now, we need to finish what we started, gather what we came here for. However many you took out, take their heads and put them in your sack. Carve out whatever loot you may desire to have and put it in your loot bags, and the rest can be assessed from there."

A sound plan. I went out and did as I was told, taking the looting knife and decapitating the Black Talon corpses, checking each body for loot and valuable items as I went. Each head went into the head bag, and the loot found its way into one of two bags, the Cardin bag and the Jaune bag. I recovered fifteen beaks and a bag and a half of talons. The first bird I 'harvested' I opened from its protruding chest, cutting through ribs and all. I looked inside to see most of the ribs intact, and I decided to take one out and examine it. I was able to do so without breaking the bone or anything else, peeling out the rib easily and looking at the bone. Clean, lightweight, rather large despite the bird it came from. I took it in both hands and tried to break it, slowly increasing the strain I put it under. I did this because I was having so many issues with bones when I used my swords, and the phrase about curiosity hasn't rung true for me yet. I was putting about 45 Strength into the bone before I even heard it creak, 60 by the time it finally gave way. No wonder it was so hard to cut through those birds, it was way above the cutting power of either one of my swords. This gave me a minor idea, one that might seem stupid at first.

I sent some Maga and Fire to my hand and set the tip of the rib into the magical flames. If Fire or Maga affected it, this would tell me. Sure enough, the bone began to show small signs of melting before it began to combust. I pulled it from the flames and put out its burn, revealing charring on the tip. Curious, I added a hint of Life to the burning mixture and tried again with the other end of the salvaged rib. The bone, this time, began to sag and eventually drip molten bone from its organic frame. I pulled this out of the flame and let the Elements and Maga release. The bone cooled and I tossed it to the side. Most interesting. I would have to save some of these for later… experimentation, to say the least.

I eagerly pulled out more bones, taking the broken ones out of my pile and putting the good ones into a spare loot sack to keep from breaking. One bag would do, and I made sure to fill one for that reason. Maybe this could be a reinforcement element to some armor or weapons. I didn't want to do too terribly much with these, knowing that I could do little given my Class and style, but keeping a few was always a good idea.

The rest of the loot I obtained was mostly from the loot organs I was told about, the mythos gland, and some interesting goodies I found from the electrocuted Harpies. I had actually obtained at least a solid pound and a half of that organ near their heart, which turned out to be their charged liver, an organ that filtered out any excessive metallic materials from their gizzards and blood. Hence why they attracted Lightning. The ones I obtained were fused together and still held a serious charge in them, allowing for a skilled metallurgist to do some pretty knifty things with them. Or a decent Paladin to forge a new weapon or new armor. I put these all away for safekeeping, just in case I wanted to do something neat with them later.

"Alright, before we go and turn in our heads let us take inventory of our loot," Magnus requested. "I'll set the standard. I retrieved fifteen heads, forty talons, several prime feathers, five mythos glands worth of random jewelry, and a random gold coin. Atlanta, would you care to continue?"

"Sure," she said gladly. "I recovered ten pristine heads, a dozen mythos glands of jewelry, a knife, two heater coils, and a mythic rock."

"What's a mythic rock," I asked aloud. She showed me the shiny rainbow rock. "Oh."

"Oh, indeed," Minor said with a smile. Either that or a grimace, really hard to tell with him. "I found thirty heads, fifteen mythos glands, a mythic rock, and two intact eggs. The eggs I set down, I've no need for them, but I had found them. Seems the bird was trying to flee with them. I wonder why… oh wait."

"_Anyways_," Magnus interrupted. "Jaune, you seemed to have filled your loot bags to the brim. What all did you retrieve?"

"Well," I recounted, "I got about a bag full of talons, a little over a dozen beaks, thirty heads, a bag of unbroken ribs, a pound and a half of charged livers, a pouch of coins, three mythic rocks, a glowing necklace, and almost a full two dozen mythos glands worth of random junk. Oh, and a copper coil and a bronze amulet of some kind."

I got looks of confusion and distaste upon finishing my list, with one of them coming my way while I was speaking.

"And what need would you have for beaks, talons, and ribs," Minor inquired with a disgusted intrigue. "Most everything else makes sense save for numbers, although with the sheer insanity that was your final Spell I shouldn't be surprised. It was those three specific things that are confusing me now."

"Well, my brother needed the beaks and talons for a project, the ribs I just wanted because I got curious. I would be willing to explain it if you wanted me to."

"Feel free," Magnus said. "And while you do, we can go in and collect our due rewards."

With a bright smile, I opened my mouth and began explaining my findings on the ribs.

* * *

"... so the ribs should be suitable for armor plates, maybe a blade or something," I finished explaining to the trio with me. Magnus seemed pleased that I had learned as much, as if he knew already that this was possible. Minor was outright disinterested, disgusted at the idea of melting bones rather than breaking them. Atlanta seemed interested in the idea of using Life as a stabilizing agent in Fire, especially in the idea of melting bones and turning them into something new and interesting. All three of them were at least somewhat surprised that I had managed to figure that out after learning how tough those bird bones were to get around.

"Welcome back," the woman at the counter said as we entered the questing office. "I assume you finished the hunt safely?"

"Yes, we did indeed," Magnus answered for us. "We have your heads right here." He gestured for us to show her the bags of heads, which we all did. The sheer quantity seemed overwhelming to me, but she seemed calm about it. "Need a head count? No pun intended, of course."

"No, I can see from your badges," she replied. "They happen to be enchanted to write directly into our records, allowing us to have maximum efficiency while still having as many employees as we do. Although, we still do have to examine the loot you brought back to ensure that you aren't taking anything… unnecessarily."

While worried, I put my many bags of loot onto the desk when it was my turn. The loot examiners searched through everything, optimising everything that needed to be optimised. There were no things that needed to be optimised in most of the bags, although one of the beaks had chipped inside the bag without my knowing and cut my number down to fourteen. I doubted that I would need that many anyways, but it was good to know that they were taking care of me while they searched me. I would have to look into some of their laws regarding hunts and quests.

"Okay, you brought the heads in as promised, so here's your insurance back," the lady gave Magnus back his coins, "and your rewards. Zachary Carter?" Magnus took his coins, putting them into his pouch. "Mitchell Carter?" Minor grabbed his coins, tying them around his waist next to his dagger, which his hand almost always rested on. "Amethyst Carter?" Atlanta seemed slightly uncomfortable with how she was called by her real name rather than her nickname and took the money quickly. "Jaune Arc?" I stepped forward and took the coins. They were actually in a somewhat larger sack than for the others, likely because of the sheer numbers and weight. On the knot that held the bag closed was a number alongside a symbol that designated the currency. That number was 1650, with the number of heads counted just above. Combined with the 23 coins in the pouch I had collected, I had 1,673 gold coins to my name.

The door to the questing office flew open violently. In walked an orange-haired man with a few scorch marks on his face. He seemed quite upset to say the least. At least his effeminate makeup was intact. He carted around an ivory cane with a red grip and a musket trigger, implying that it doubled as a ranged weapon. He wore a white coat, a black bowler hat, a black shirt neatly tucked into his charcoal pants, and shoes as black as his eyeliner. His green eyes were unimpressed to say the least.

"Hello, sweetheart," the man said with mock sweetness in his voice, walking up to the counter. "Did you know that there happens to be an issue with your vents? The ones that _cough up coal smoke out the side where they shouldn't_? Also, there may or may not be a nest of angry _rats_ around the same corner."

"I did not, sir, and I apologize for that," the lady apologized. "Is there any way I can compensate you, sir?"

"Well, yes and no," the man explained. "See, me and my _actual_ sweetheart have been looking around for quests out the wazoo for the past few days, and this _just_ so happens to be the place for it. So in a way, you already are compensating just by merit of being here, and I'm hoping you could help me figure out a little extra something or other for a couple of traveling adventurers."

"Well, we do have a selection here, if you want to look through the catalog," the lady waved her arm at the book of quests. The man's green eyes seemed to light up like a Festal tree.

"Oh, thank the _makers_," the man exclaimed. "Thank you very much, young lady. The name's Roman, by the way."

We had just walked out the door before anything else could be heard. A young lady with brown hair was standing outside. She had heterochromia, with one eye being a soft brown and the other a pale pink. She was around five inches shorter than I was, and she gave me a genuine smile and wave before returning to waiting patiently.

_She and the Roman man must be close_, Gary noted. _I wonder if the two have already touched._

_Can you _not _put that visual in my head_, I pleaded with the Parasite.

_Can you give me all of your Levels and XP_, the creature inside me returned.

_Burn in Hell_, I growled at it.

_Not without you_, it returned. I nearly groaned in real life. This Parasite was among the worst things to happen to me.

Speaking of things happening to me, I needed to grab some Harpy meat for Cardin. I dunno why, but I get the feeling that something very bad will happen to me if I don't deliver on that promise. I shivered at the thought and decided to make progress towards that goal.

"Hey," I called to the rest of our group. Magnus turned his head towards me slightly. "Can we make a pit stop by the grocery? I gotta run a few errands right quick."

"I don't believe that that would be wise," Minor thought aloud. "Any groceries purchased would go bad rather quickly on our return trip, even if it only lasted for a single day. You would be better off making your purchase on the way back, rather than buying whatever items you need here. Whatever they may be, and for whatever reason you believe them to be necessary."

"I'm getting some Harpy meat for my brother while I'm out," I explained. Minor nodded in understanding.

"Then you should definitely wait," Magnus stated. "We'll make it to a town near Aurum tomorrow, a trading partner with Wynndale; you can make your purchase there, fresh and in whatever quantity he needs."

"Alright," I nodded. That did make the most sense. Maybe I'm not as prepared for today as I thought?

I felt a gentle warmth inside of me, only now registering the huge swaths of XP I had gained from the hunt. I was confused at first due to the energy of fighting leaving me, but I quickly recalled that I had killed at least two dozen Black Talons during our hunt not three hours ago. Each one was a lower Level than I am, ranging between Level 4 to 10, but the sheer number was upwards of 32 given the number that flew up towards the Fireball and Flame Missile. Since most species of Harpy gave anywhere from 10 to 20 XP per Level per kill, with Black Talons at the top of the spectrum, there was little chance that I had _not_ reached Level 22 yet. Actually, scratch that; I forgot that I only gain at half the rate of others, so I'm pretty sure I need to calculate the gains. I should probably figure out how many of each Level I took out, so let me start there. Let's see, there were only eight Level 10's in total, and I got away with three, killing them all; no Level 9, so that's that; only six Level 4's showed up, and the female was under that so I'm safe to assume I got all of them; I nailed just as many Level 5's and 6's, which was about 14 in total; there was only one Level 7, meaning the rest of my kills were Level 8. So if my math is right, I should have gained somewhere between… how did I manage that? 2,020 XP in one go. There has to be an error somewhere. Let me rethink this here. Total combined Levels across the board should be 202, times ten for the XP itself… yeah, that checks out. The Elemental attack should have taken nothing away from that, and if it did it was negligible enough for looting the birds to make up for perfectly. Yeah, that makes sense. Huh, hunts are really overpowered in the world of XP. I wonder if Magnus or one of the others has something to say about that?

"Hey, Magnus," I called again. "How much XP did you get on your first hunt?"

"That's a tad bit personal," Magnus warned. "Although, since this is your first hunt, I'll oblige you. My first hunt was a pair of ravaging Minotaurs in Mastodon territory, so the gains were far greater than simple Harpies. I managed to get the killing blow on both of them, one on complete accident - ."

"You stole my kill," Minor interjected angrily.

"_On accident_," Magnus emphasized. "Either way, I ended up gaining 8,400 or so, plus a few dozen more for looting a large monster with my brother."

"_My_ first official hunt was a Mastodon blocking the merchant roads between kingdoms," Minor added. "_That_ one gave me a full 7,080 since it was old and hard to kill."

"Mine was a Lost Guardian," Atlanta explained. "I forget how I got him, let alone what all I got out of it, but I do remember learning a pretty powerful Spell or two from it."

…

Okay, maybe I'm still behind the curve compared to these feats.

"Remember, many hunts double your rewards by default," Minor told me. I genuinely did not know that. "Simple hunting _quests_ do not. This ended up being the latter, unfortunately for you. If it were a true _hunt_, we would've found our way to the _hunting_ office rather than the questing office." Oh. Bum me out, why don't you? "You can gain similar rewards to hunts through quests by doubling your efforts and labors, however."

"You did just that, didn't you," Magnus asked. I nodded with a sigh. "No worries, we all do that from time to time."

Well, at least I went above and beyond the call of duty, right? Seriously, 2,020 XP for a stinking quest. That's a bit embarrassing to me, to be honest. Regardless, I jumped up at least one Level from that. Let me think here, since I'm doing _so_ well with _that_ today. I had 303.6 XP to go to reach Level 22, so subtract that from two _freaking_ thousand… I had 1,716.4 XP left over from that hunt. So going off of the previous Levels, I should have gone up one more Level to 23, with some left over. So subtract 845, and I have another 871.4 XP to add to my current count. Which would mean that I have that much of 900 towards Level 24.

_Way to go, champ_, Gary taunted from inside my head. I almost groaned out loud again. _Jumping up the ranks now, are we? Speaking of 'we', you always figure out how much _I _got, so how much did I get this time, champ?_

_You've taken 8,996 and change_, I didn't even bother doing the calculation for him, since it could be elementary if done right. _And don't call me 'champ', I hate that already_.

_But I only called you champ twice_, Gary argued.

_Exactly_, I returned. _Anything _you _call me is an insult. For others it depends._

We made it back to the steam tractor and hopped in, with the least sore of us doing the first drive. In other words, not me. I actually forgot that we had packed our loot into the back of the carriage during the trip home, earning a few laughs at my expense.

_Current XP: 871.64 of 900. XP to Gary: 8,996.58. Training time: 4 months, 7 days._

**End**

* * *

**A/N: I have an excuse for the delay this time. I originally had the idea where Jaune would fight a Patriarch, several high-Level Harpies, and get a new weapon in some badass show of stupendous overpowered awesomeness, but I quickly realized that that would be an insult towards everything that I've worked towards in this story so far. It took me a bit of thinking for me to figure out a way to change it so that it made sense within the context of the story without adding any MacGuffins or whatever. What you see now is the quick and easy fix to what I almost pulled. Thankfully, this time we get to see… yeah, I'm not gonna lie, I could've pulled that off better. Gone into greater detail about **_**how**_ **Jaune was struggling, extra little bits about the difficulty of the situation for him, and so on. However, this I feel works for the time being. Luckily, I did not forget how Jaune has PTSD in this story (in case you don't remember, he saw his father die to an Earth Mage), so I kinda saved my own skin for future fights and incidents.**

**By the way, I'll give everyone three guesses as to which two canon characters made a cameo in this chapter, and the first two don't count. Yeah, I had issues with **_**that**_ **one too, so there's that. Also, before the reviews stampede me, I **_**know**_ **that they seem OoC and one doesn't even **_**look**_ **right, but this is three years before Beacon. We'll get there, trust this mad author. I'm like Otto von Bismarck: I have a plan. I **_**always**_ **have a plan. A half-assed plan that usually ends in failure, but a plan nonetheless.**

**Anyways, I gotta scramble. Other things to work on, relax from the long week and a half, a brother to take care of, et cetera. This is General Texas, signing out.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Okay, I really got lucky here. Two somebodies told me that Jaune's father was killed by a Light Mage earlier in the story, while last chapter I said it was an Earth Mage. Had there only been one person telling me this, I probably would've overlooked this, but since there were more comments about it I decided to look back. Lo and behold, back in Chapter 5 I wrote clear as day that the killer was of the Light Element, not Earth. I am so glad you brought this to my attention, because I need to go back and make sure that no chapters were affected by this lapse in judgement. I'll ignore the Author's Notes, but the main story needs to maintain continuity and I might have screwed that up. I'll probably end up fixing those chapters before or after I get this chapter out, but if I do end up missing a part please let me know which part of which chapter so I can fix it. Thank you so much for bringing this to my attention.**

**Someone else actually mentioned in Chapter 1 that 'try my hand' sounds like a masturbation joke, which I actually find hilarious. I'll keep it just for laughs, but it's still downright funny to me. Gotta admit, my mind misses so many tiny things that make my days sometimes. This has got to be one of the more amusing ones, if you asked me.**

**Anyways, I guess I should let you guys know about my brother. He had a successful surgery, and he should be able to march with the band in a few months, maybe by the start of band **_**camp**_ **if he gets through rehab soon enough. He's still struggling with pain and adjustments, but so far he's gotten it down to a routine of sorts. A routine that has resulted in him essentially claiming a mouse that he gave me, but a routine nonetheless. I still have negative income, mostly due to bills and whatnot, but I'm getting there.**

**Man, this has got to be my most supported story so far. It's just crazy how well it's done, mostly thanks to your suggestions and support. I gotta thank you guys for this. Without you, this story probably would've ended up like so many others I've written, so thank you so much. With that being said, it's best that I get on with the story so that I can make you all proud… ish.**

_**The author of Just Another Steampunk Gamer does not own RWBY, nor is he a part of RoosterTeeth or any of its branches. He is thankful for the following he has received on the story, and is willing to accept help from those willing to make suggestions. Take notes, RT.**_

* * *

**Jaune Arc (14)**

**Level 23 Paladin (Unaligned)**

**Passive XP: 0.24 per day**

**XP to Level 24: 871.64 of 900**

**XP taken by Gary: 8,996.58**

**Base Armor: 52**

**Skills to obtain: 2**

**Stats**

**Strength: 106 (Labor 45, Combat 83, Force 46, Control 60), Intelligence: 98 (Wisdom 57, Intelligence 54, Technical 35, Strategy 46), Constitution: 121 (Immunity 90, Endurance 124, Tolerance 112, Maga 158), Agility: 150 (Balance 50, Flexibility 48, Speed 52), Social: 101 (Emotion 97, Compassion 99), Resistance: 158 (Physical 158, Magical 156, Elemental 156)**

**Equipment**

**Leather Padded Woven Jacket (Armor 24, Weight 0.15, Movement 0.1), Keratin-Brass Armored Leather Vest (Armor 38, Weight 0.25, Movement 0.15, Combat Buff), Keratin-Brass Armored Woven Pants (Armor 28, Weight 0.2, Movement 0.15, Defense Buff), Keratin-Plated Leather Boots (Armor 12, Weight 0.05, Movement 0.05), Keratin-Brass Pauldron (Armor 16, Weight 0.05, Movement 0, Armor Buff), Steel Healing Sword Tier III (Piercing 42, Weight 4, Sturdiness 56, Element 125 Life, heals wielder passively), Steel Fire Sword Tier III (Piercing 44, Weight 4, Sturdiness 54, Element 126 Fire, increases effectiveness of Fire attacks by 65%, inflicts Burning debuff on targets with less than 50 Elemental Resistance)**

**Total Armor: 83**

**Abilities**

**Element Seeker, Burning Wrath (New Discovery)**

**Skills**

**Nature's Eye, Dust Acquisition, Fishing III, Hunting III, Survival III, Cooking II (Self-Taught), Metalworking II, Weapons Basics III, Unarmed Combat IV, Defense I, Enhanced Takedowns, Armed Takedowns, Elemental Knowledge VI, Fire Efficiency, Life Efficiency, Maga Efficiency, Stats, Pathfinder, Mountain Climber, Elemental Summon, Seeker (Self-Taught), Rapid Fire, Blade Summon (Self-Taught), Culture I, Dual Cast, Dynamo Repair Basics (Self-Taught, just remembered)**

**Spells**

**Living Fireball III, Living Flame Pulse III, Flamethrower II, Flame Missile, Flame Dispel, Flame Wings, Flame Embodiment, Meteoric Punch, Sulfur Blast, Pyre, Basalt Skin, Healer III, Root Punch, Cedar Oak, Sturdy Roots, Forest Camouflage, Peat Bomb, Lightning Bolt II, Maga Punch, Maga Guard**

**Buffs**

**Weakness, Second Opinion, XP Drain, Symbiotic Binds, Nature's Grace, Comfortable, Puberty, Recent Tragedy, Training, Recent Happiness, New Discovery, Combat: Strength (increases combat effectiveness by 25%, effective Combat Strength by 2), Defense: Resistance (increases defensive Skill and item effectiveness by 15%, effective Resistance by 2), Armor: Penetration (increases Total Armor by an additional 10% of Base Armor, decreases effective Piercing of incoming attacks by 2)**

**Class Buffs: Healing Aura, Defensive Aura**

**Active Quests: Cardin (15 pounds Harpy meat; Black Talon Harpy Talons, 1 20 pound sack; Black Talon Harpy Beaks, 10)**

* * *

The day after the hunt was pretty boring at first. It took us the first half of the day to finish our return trip, plus another twenty minutes to get the harpy meat from a local market. We had stayed at an inn yesterday night after the hunt and about a hundred miles of driving, so it wouldn't take us long to make it home. Due to the nature of the quest, Magnus and Minor decided that training that day could be postponed until today.

It wasn't really a surprise to me that Minor didn't do much in the way of teaching me, only taking his hour to help me get better and more used to what he had taught me two days prior. I mean, I only just now learned the stuff, and I personally thought I was pretty bad with it. If the hunt taught me anything, it's that I'm not using the appropriate Skills when I need to. Hopefully Minor and Magnus can help me get over that and quickly, especially with this Earth Mage apparently on my tail. Speaking of Earth Mages, I wonder if Cardin's having a similar issue?

And while he's on my mind, I'm curious as to what all his teacher is showing him. Maybe he's being taught some cool things about weapons or martial arts, maybe even a Fire Spell or two? He's definitely getting stronger, if his apparent growth spurt says anything about it. Either that, or I'm just turning into a Leprechaun, which would be somewhat embarrassing to say the least. Regardless, he seems a bit thinner to me, too. His shoulders are a bit wider, his arms are a bit bigger, and he _happens_ to be taller than me by an inch or so. His gut seems to stick out less than before, which may be a result of training… or a growth spurt. One of the two, neither of which is making _me_ any taller. Any day now, I'll be taller, thinner, broader.

Aside from the spite towards my height and general shape, I'm somewhat pleased with myself. I have a quest of sorts now, I'm Level 23 and almost at 24, I'm almost at a comfortable point in my training, I just completed a hunt… _quest_, excuse me, and all of this in spite of my Parasite. Life is at least somewhat decent today. I also happen to have a somewhat stuffed wallet, two brand new upgraded swords, a shiny new set of armor, and extra materials with which to further enhance the three. Alongside the favor I'm about to do for Cardin, and the past few days have been going quite… smoothly.

"Oh, shoot," Atlanta cursed silently. Magnus was in the back with me at the time, and turned to face his wife. "I forgot to check on Mom and Dad while we were in Wynndale."

"We could feasibly get a letter to them within a day, provided we did so quickly," Magnus informed her, gently holding her hand. She let out a tired sigh, wiping her brow. I could understand why, given the moderate temperatures and bright sunny day. "Are you alright, my dear?"

She nodded quickly, leaning against him like a cat nuzzling its mate. Come to think of it, she usually has much more Maga than I do, and can pull off several higher Spells in rapid succession without issue. Yesterday, she was a bit slow to cast at even a crowd of Black Talons, and was only able to pull off a few of the Spells before she had to take a break. I could sense a debuff lingering over her head, but she wasn't struck by a talon or she wouldn't be alive right now. Strange, to be sure, but it wasn't my place to know or ask to know. Honestly, I'm not sure whether even she knows. Maybe a Skill could shed some light on this… hey, maybe I _could_ get a Skill. I _do_ recall gaining a couple of Levels yesterday, so maybe I could gather a pair of Skills?

No, no greedy Skills Jaune. Remember what Dad said about greedy Skills: they always lead to disaster, especially when it isn't needed. Don't get a Skill you don't need, or you'll be left without one that you _do_ need. Think about what you need here and now, _then_ pick a Skill. So what do I _need_?

…

I should probably think about it while I'm _looking_ at the Skills I have.

I closed my eyes, letting the world around me fade to the back of my mind as one thing came to the forefront: the Skills Plains. Yup, I named the place I go to to pick out new Skills. No problems here, it gives some figurative color to a literally colorless plane of existence. My 'eyes' opened to see the blank skies forming around me, with brightly colored orbs floating all around me. Each colorful bubble had a different symbol marking it, giving even more flavor to this stale region. There were two red bubbles, each with lines floating back to the black monstrous form of Gary, who was still caged in by the wooden roots and branches. Right next to the towering beast and its cage was a familiar Dryad. She still had the familiar green eyes, but now she bore a more human skin rather than the rigid bark and wood texture most Nymphs had. She had grown more feminine as well, showing more curves along her slim frame. Since I was coming of age already, I felt a slight attraction to the Guardian's slender build. That, alongside a strong sense of camaraderie, was it between us for now.

_We meet again, Sprout_, she greeted. I smiled and waved in her direction. _I can tell that you have grown your arsenal._

_What gave it away_, I said with a smile. I actually _was_ curious about that, given that there were no mirrors here, and looking down didn't reveal my feet or belly. She smiled at my humorous curiosity.

_To me, you appear as a mirage of your current self_, she explained. _Your Skills also change, flickering to life as you learn them. However, I can sense something… different about you. In a short time, less than what your kind call 'one hour', you gained two Levels and came close to a third. Your temperance has also changed slightly since last you were here._

I couldn't tell that I had frowned, but I must have. A pair of wooden chairs formed before me, and the Dryad offered a seat to me. It was here that I told her about what happened, all the ins and outs. The hu- _quest_, the Harpies, the flashbacks, the upgrades, the training, all of it. The gentle Guardian said nothing as I spoke, listening intently to my words as they came from my mouth… from _me_, actually, since I don't know if I actually have a mouth here. She was silent for a moment, and I prayed silently that she didn't hate me for the hunt… _quest_, dang it.

_I see your strife clearly now_, she informed me. She looked me dead in the eyes. _You almost felt nothing about slaying these Harpies, despite your clear excitement for this hunt and worry for the victims. The Living Element within you does not entertain the idea of this, intentional or not, and so it forced emotion upon you. I am not upset with you, nor is the Element. However, if you truly feel strongly about calling upon it in your hour of need, you must learn to respect the living beings around you. You must understand how precious life is if you wish to utilize what makes it so._

That made sense to me. Life was a giving Element, not a thieving one like Fire or Darkness. Life wasn't a rare thing, but it wasn't abundant like Air or Earth. Life was fragile, unlike the solid Earth, fluid Water, or piercing Light. So long as I used the Life Element in my arsenal, I would have to respect its source. In that light, I would have to learn how to respect Life in its natural habitat: living, breathing beings. I wondered if monsters like Gary and Manticores counted, but I was certain that they did.

One step at a time, Jaune. What can help you respect life in this repertoire of Skills?

_Is there anything that can help me respect Life here_, I asked. The Dryad shrugged. I almost wanted to sigh in defeat and admit it, but I remembered something odd at that moment. The first Skills I have ever obtained here, among them Nature's Eye. It allowed me to know the basics of Guardians and living beings like them when I see them, so maybe there's something similar? Something that could let me see something more… personal? I knew it was impolite, but I could respect something easier if I knew more about it than just Levels, Elements, and the bigger Buffs.

Maybe Nature's Eye has a branch for that?

My form rose from the seat and wandered over to the green orb of Nature's Eye. Sure enough, it _was_ tied to something else. The line was no longer grey, nor the bubble tied to the other end, but there _was_ something beyond that. The bubble itself was red, meaning Gary wanted it too. It bore a heart on it, along with a few larger mirages of the heard laid over the image. The implication was obvious: it was meant to symbolize the beating heart. Heart's Eye was its name, and I took a long look at its strengths, weaknesses, and effects.

Heart's Eye: allows the user to feel the heartbeat of other living beings within a 5 foot radius, increases with experience. Buffs with 3 or more effects are also made known when the afflicted is seen, effects listed. Must be Level 22 and use Life Element to obtain.

I knew that it was impolite to peer into the privacy of others, but this could help me save comrades if the need arises. It could also help me gain a sense of respect for Life and what it makes. Still, I was basically looking into someone's private life. This would be like going to their house without permission or invitation. I really didn't enjoy that thought, but after a quick look around the Plains, I realized that nothing else here was able to give me that sense of respect. And having just accomplished my first quest - finally I get it right - I get the feeling that I'll need that respect relatively soon. I don't want to fall behind or get caught in a bad situation because my own Elements were rebelling against my choices.

Besides, it could help me sense when something is about to try to kill me… okay, maybe this is a good idea. Give me some peace of mind at night when I feel like spiders are watching me. I mean, the feeling is one thing, but if they are or aren't is a completely different matter altogether. Yeah, I'll take Heart's Eye.

The bubble with the heart turned a beautiful green color, as did the line that connected it and Nature's Eye. Branching off of that was Empathetic Link and Sympathetic Link, which were emotional and physical understandings of surrounding creatures respectively. Both of those were a bit too personal for me at the moment, but for the time being Heart's Eye would do. Besides, those other two were at least a dozen Levels ahead of where I was.

Another few 'minutes' of looking around, and I came across a little something interesting.

Monster Knowledge Basics: the basemost knowledge of unnatural Elementals, created Elementals, and mutated Elementals. Some extra information about minor Monsters will be revealed, but only the basics on most other Monsters. Must have a minimum Intelligence of 44.

Who knows if I'll ever need to know that? Might as well have some basics on them, rather than just figure it out on my own or from someone else. Also known as 'why not'. Just in case, I looked around everywhere else I could find something, refraining from even looking at any extra Spells or combat Skills so that I could truly learn from Magnus and Minor. There weren't any that I could see myself needing in the immediate future, so I went back to Monster Knowledge Basics and chose it as my second Skill. Maybe this one would help me respect Life more as well?

I was about to leave, but the Dryad stopped me. A simple hand on my shoulder, and I could tell that she wasn't just here as a jailer for the Parasite. She actually needed something this time. I stayed a bit longer to hear her out. When I _did_ eventually leave I was glad that I stayed that little bit longer.

_Sprout_, the Dryad warned me. Her expression was dead serious, if a little worried. _Mother senses something, some_one _near the Woods. Earth Mages, carrying Fire Dust and torches. They are gathering their forces for now, but I fear it will become worse shortly. Please, do come quickly. I fear for Mother._

I absorbed this as I came back to reality. I felt worried for her, followed by a quick surge of anger. My emotions eventually settled on a stubborn protectiveness. I silently promised to head over soon and keep an eye out on the Hallowed Wood. I wanted to ask Atlanta and Magnus to come with me and help, as the two of them utilized Life in their arsenal and thusly didn't pose nearly as much of a threat to the Hallowed Root.

_Thump-thump_. I sensed a heartbeat, gentle yet mighty, carrying within it a vibrant flame. I could tell that it was Magnus, as it seemed to pass _through_ Atlanta unaffected. _Thump-thump_. This next one was a bit softer, but not by much. It sang a sweet tune of Life with it, marking it as Atlanta's. … _pup._ I paused. I didn't see anything pass the vehicle at that time, and the range is only five feet. This third pulse, tiny and fragile as it was, continued to send signals to me, speaking to me. It was small, frail, and was unable to beat on its own. The tiny rhythm seemed to persist through Atlanta's own constant, steady beating. It made no sense to me, as Parasites didn't require hearts to live. This tiny creature, whatever it was, was living on with the help of Atlanta.

I couldn't tell where it was in relation to me, since I was still new to the whole Heart's Eye Skill. However, I had a general sense of distance and direction on my side, and this sense told me that the third beat came from Atlanta, only… lower than her own heart? No, that can't be right. Humans only have one heart, as do our look-alikes.

_Interesting_, I thought to myself. _I'll have to talk about it later. Maybe it's just my own pulse going through her and echoing back to me. But wouldn't that interfere somehow? And these pulses are precise to me… too precise for an echo._

_I think I know what's going on_, Gary hummed, squirming around slightly. _If you end up dead, I think I have options now._

_Can it, you vampiric shrimp_, I warned.

_Those actually do exist, you know_, it informed me. I… paused for a moment to consider this fact. _Not even joking, I've seen one in a swamp before. Nearly ended up with a gut worm of my own._

Okay… not quite sure what to do with that, but good to know.

I chanced a look over to the right side of the vehicle, watching the maize pass us by, and I skimmed over Atlanta's head by sheer chance. Ever-so briefly, I caught sigh of a net-neutral Buff over her head. I just… _knew_, sort of, what it was doing to her and what was causing it. I was unable to get it out of my head, but dammit I tried. I couldn't forget what I saw, couldn't neglect this information in my mind. Despite seeing no symbols or letters, my mind registered the facts. My heart saw it all.

I turned my head away as normally as I could manage, given this rush of knowledge. The tertiary pulse, the third weak heartbeat suddenly made so much sense to me. Everything, from her strange actions and sudden ailments to her minor delays at times, it all made sense to me.

"Jaune," Atlanta's voice made it to me. I remained stationary, still absorbing everything. Silence for a few moments permeated the trailer cabin. "Jaune, are you alright?"

Silence. I was actually unable to respond, even if I could move. Nature's Eye told me that there was a pit of Life inside of Magnus's wife, specifically somewhere in her lower torso. My mind was still reeling from it all, and it was still coming in strong. Even the wild Fire within me went silent and still as the new knowledge made it everywhere in my body. I was at least able to suppress a shiver.

"Zach, Jaune is acting funny again," Atlanta told Magnus. "Did I do something wrong? Is this- is this normal for him?" I could feel Magnus's gaze on my unsteady shoulder, then my firm face. I tried to get it to straighten out, but it just couldn't.

"Hmm," he mumbled. "Seems like he's gotten a new Skill or two. Maybe one based around information? Or perhaps some kind of sense? Just give him a moment, he'll come around."

I finally was able to jolt, my body relieving itself of its stiffened state. The carriage rocked gently, hardly even moving much at all given the weight on the back. I shivered heavily, no longer able to suppress it.

"And he's back to the land of the living," Magnus joked. "I assume you overheard my assumptions? Was I right in any way?" I turned my head to him slowly, never meeting his face, and nodded lightly. My nerves were quickly picked up on by Atlanta.

"Is something wrong, Jaune?" she asked softly. "Are you alright? Do you need something?" I shook my head as steadily as I could.

"No, I'll be- uh, I'll be fine," I stammered. My mind had calmed enough by this point that I was again able to form a coherent train of thought and translate thoughts into words. "Er, um… sorry, I'm just a bit off-kilter."

"No, that's fine, Jaune," Magnus said, holding his hand up as if to pacify me. As if that were possible right now. He lowered his hand after a silent moment, allowing me further time to relax my senses. "So, what Skills did you get?"

I knew why he asked that. The best way to overcome one's problems was to confront them, and I have experienced both ends of the spectrum. I was, after all, still scared of spiders. Freakish little insects, they creep me out. UGH!

All the same, I couldn't really get over what I had just picked up on. I mean, how _could_ I? This was so shocking that even Magnus would go stiff as steel and storm-eye silent. Then again, I had a feeling that he might already have known by this point.

"Monster Knowledge Basics," I offered up first. "I wanna know what to look out for in case we go on another quest like this one soon." He nodded, raising the thumb on his raised right fist.

"A knowledge well-needed for a Paladin such as yourself," Magnus said proudly. "Soon, you'll know more than just the basics, and you might even be able to judge a monstrous creature with a long glance alone."

"That's not the only one," I said, mentally steeling myself for what I figured would be a trio of unhappy teachers. "I gained two Levels in that quest, so I got one more Skill to pick. One was a Knowledge Skill, the other was a Passive." Skills came in three flavors: Passive, meaning always active; Active, meaning I would have to want and try to use it for it to work; and Knowledge, or research without the books or work. Magnus seemed impressed at this outcome, and seemed a bit prouder about this new knowledge.

"And what's this new Passive you have," Magnus asked me. Hoo boy, here we go. I swallowed my fears, breathed in once or twice to keep my composure, and spoke.

"Heart's Eye," I told them. Magnus seemed fine with this, although he did seem slightly curious about it. Atlanta, on the other hand, seemed a bit put off by this but didn't question it _too_ much.

"Heart's Eye," he repeated. He thought about it for a moment. "I honestly dunno what that is, what is that?"

"It's the next step up from Nature's Eye," I responded. "It allows me to see stronger Buffs and Debuffs, as well as feel the heartbeats of others within a short range."

"Whoa, now I'm a bit jealous to be honest," Magnus complained playfully. "I mean, you basically have a sort of 'danger sense' now. I didn't get that sort of thing until I was almost twenty." Interesting to know.

"I thought I already told you something about that," Atlanta stated plainly to her husband. He blinked a couple of times before the proverbial valve opened. He asked nothing else. "Jaune, I don't mean to sound rude, but that seems a little more personal than you like digging. May I ask why you got it?"

I totally saw that inquiry coming. Yup, totally did. As did I see all of this coming. _NOT_!

"Well, when I was picking out those Skills I learned that the Life inside of me wants me to feel more respect for living things, so it forced me to feel _something_ when I… well, you know by now, probably. During the quest, I kind of locked up and all that. That was the Life rebelling. So, to try and respect it more, I got myself a Skill to help me with that. Two of them, actually."

The duo were silent for a moment or two. A farm tractor passed us by, hissing along silently.

"A wise choice," Magnus admitted. "Fixing two problems in one single moment. However, it won't help in _every_ way. What if you have to face down a human, or something that looks _like_ a human? Would you be willing to kill then? See, it's not as simple as you might think, solving your… problem. Confrontation, aversion, and solution are the three best ways to fix any problem. I'm not upset, surely not, but you must realize that this might _not_ be the full answer, no matter _how_ useful it is."

I nodded in understanding. Atlanta seemed a bit… _off_ herself, but I couldn't tell how. Her next inquiry might solve things.

"I-I take it you saw a Buff or something in me," she asked. I nodded slowly, uncertain what the outcome would be. "Could you tell me what it is, please? Any doctors I visit can't tell what's wrong, and it's been getting worse as the weeks go on. Thing is, Heart's Eye doesn't look within, even if you can see it, and I haven't found anyone with any Skills like that. I- "

"Honey, I think he gets the point," Magnus said gently, chuckling softly as she sighed. Yeah, she does get carried away sometimes, I'll admit. First day we met, she was all over me and my dark hair, going on and on for almost fifteen minutes about how 'cute' I looked. I was polite, and I didn't say anything regrettable or stop her, but… good heavens. If she were allowed, she could speak a mile a minute for hours on end. "You calm now? You good?" She nodded. "Good. We can find a real practitioner who knows what he's talking about later. No offense, Jaune, but you don't exactly know much about medicine and all that."

"None taken," I nodded. My brown furrowed without my wanting to. Not that it mattered, because this might get a bit rough. "Thing is, I didn't _just_ see a Buff, and it wasn't a normal Buff to begin with. It has enough good things with it to balance out any negative effects it might have." Brows were raised. "But before that, back as soon as I came back from the… place. The Skills Plains, I call it, but same thing… when I came back, I sensed your heartbeat," I gestured to Magnus. "Then it was yours." Atlanta nodded. "But then I felt a third."

Silence. I didn't bother reading their expressions, I could tell that they might not believe me. Still, I had started explaining it, so I felt the need to finish it.

"It was tied right to Atlanta," I continued, explaining the third heartbeat. "But not like a Parasite or some other small monster. It was… warm. Scared. Frail, weak, tiny. Her heart seemed to support it willingly, from what I felt in it. And it didn't come from the outside."

"Well, I can kinda get that it's not a Parasite, since it has a heartbeat," Magnus pondered. "I mean, it takes a heart to beat, right?" I nodded. "And it's not like a monster, you say? You say it's weak, small, warm, scared, stuff like that?" I nodded. He hummed to himself, scratching his stubbled chin.

"Is it tied to the Buff," Atlanta asked me. I nodded. No sense lying to her at this point. She'll find out soon either way, best get it from a trustworthy source. "Then what's it doing?"

And here's where I felt afraid to say much else. I'm pretty sure anyone else could tell where I'm getting at, so I'm going to skip over the reveal like a jerk and let anyone with an eye for details figure it out for themselves. For now, let me skip over to when we make it back home.

* * *

(Intermission: I _am_ that petty. I really am that petty, that I wouldn't give the grand reveal. However, I myself have never experienced anything of the sort, and am completely unwilling to ruin such a moment and a story by attempting to write about something like this. Those perceptive enough and with a quick mind might be quick to get the hint before I give the reveal in a number of chapters from now, the number of which I don't know. If you think you have the answer, let me know in a Review and tell me your thoughts on it. Also, a bit more plot from our Dryad friend. I have a plan, much like the first German Chancellor to my knowledge, Otto von Bismarck. I _always_ have a plan… a _shitty_ plan, usually, but a plan nonetheless.)

* * *

I stepped out of the vehicle with stiff and sore legs, uneasily standing to stretch out my body. I had arrived at my home after dropping Magnus and Atlanta off at their place, which took all of ten minutes to do. I wasn't expected to be home for another four days, but I also didn't expect the journey to take as little time as it did. According to Magnus and Atlanta, the trip should've taken around 3 days there, a day spent there, and another 3 days back. Yet here I am, back by the third day of the supposedly seven-day journey. I may have to get used to changing travel times due to the rapid industrial advances over the years.

I spent a few minutes getting used to walking again before I got to work taking the carriage off of the tractor and moving it over to the storage shed. My sisters realized that I was home just as I got the thing unhooked, chasing me down like a pack of hungry wolves almost as soon as they saw me. Afterwards, they hounded me with so many questions that I could hardly keep up with them all. If it weren't for Mom telling them to help me get unpacked before they hounded me, they would've kept me pinned for about an hour. They were kind enough to help me carry the trailer all the way to the shed before practically dragging me back to the house. After that, it was a barrage of questions without delay in the dining room that almost lasted an hour. Had it not been for me practically enforcing some order between their questions, it could've lasted either thirty minutes or two and a half hours. They were clearly worried for me, and even repeated questions to try and catch me off guard, almost as if they suspected a lie or two. Once they were all satisfied, I was allowed some breathing space as Mom took Saffron and Diamond into the kitchen to start making dinner.

"Okay, now I've got to ask _you_ girls," I said before taking a huge swig of water. Pearl was too kind to her youngest brother. I gasped for air once I finished, as though drinking water were the same thing as swimming in it. I don't know if anyone else gets that, but I sometimes do that myself. "Where's Cardin off to? I haven't seen him since I got back."

"Oh, he'll be here shortly," Crystal answered. "He usually finishes training just after dinner gets to the table." The front door creaked open, and heavy footsteps fell onto the planked wooden floor. "And speaking of which, _we're_ actually late today. There he is right now." Enter Cardin Winchester, adorned in a light chestpiece, heavy greaves and gauntlets, a restrictive gambeson and trousers, and a visor that was pulled up from his eyes. His hair was shaggy, wet, and dirty in patches. He seemed exhausted, as if he had just run all the way here. In his hand was a steel club that seemed excessively heavy for _just_ a club, which was slung over his shoulder. He bore no pauldron on either of his shoulders, padded only by that which the gambeson and his undershirt provided.

His eyes caught mine, and with a quick smile and a sharp nod he… turned away towards his room. I mean, I can't complain with that, given the mess he looks like, but… oh, I have a bad feeling about this.

_Best check myself, see if I need to do the same_, I thought, raising my arm to sniff. A short whiff of myself later, and I was making a beeline to my room to grab a change of clothes and a towel. Luckily, the washroom has two bath stalls instead of just one, so Cardin and I were both quick to wash ourselves of grime and stench. Did you know that I was actually coated lightly in dirt and Harpy blood? My hair was especially in dire need of a trim, and my facial hair was starting to grow in and darken. Cardin was the first one out of the bath, quickly drying off and dressing himself before I even finished scrubbing off the grime. It was so bad that I had to wait an extra few minutes to change the water in the bath so that I could actually get clean. Luckily, I was able to get everything without much issue outside of the water itself, so I was able to trim my growing beard and fix my hair a few minutes after Cardin got out. It didn't take me long to get dried and dressed, either, so I was back with the rest of the family about twenty minutes after Cardin.

My timing couldn't be more perfect either, since Mom and the girls had finished with supper once I got to the dining room. I was able to get about two bites in before I heard the most annoying sound in the world in my ears:

_BOOM!_ I ended up sighing as the dynamo broke down again. Cardin offered to go with me and help, as two on one job would make the work go faster and our meals wouldn't cool down as fast. He took his light enameled wood mace with him just in case something went wrong or we needed some leverage, which wasn't a _bad_ idea to me.

"So, how's your training been going," I asked my adopted brother. He shrugged with a grunt. "I'll take that to mean 'well enough'."

"Well, we _did_ go on a local quest for the militia," he claimed. I raised an eyebrow. "Nothing like a Harpy hunt, mind you, but we had to escort a picky banker and his carriage between vaults. Wouldn't go without a Fire _something_, so Dominic and I went. I swear, that guy got on my nerves. Kept calling me a pipsqueak and a weakling. It got to the point where I almost wanted to punch him in his crooked teeth, but thankfully for him some _other_ punching bags came along to take the hit."

"Some _other_ guys," I questioned. "What kind of 'other' guys? Who was it?"

"Earth Mages, decently high in the Levels department," he answered. "Tried to impale me with some flying swords." My mind triggered at those words. Flying swords, Earth Mages? "They kept talking about some 'crusade' against Volcan and some forest of some kind. They brought up something about these 'sons of Fire', but… I dunno, what do you think?"

My mind was reeling. So he's faced Earth Mages too? Are they just hunting myself and him, or are they after something? This might be part of some kind of cult, but I can't tell. Maybe they just confused us with the wrong people? I dunno, but it's getting more and more disturbing as time passes. Regardless, it means that we both have to be careful and keep an eye out for ourselves and each other.

As we approached the steam dynamo, I kept an eye on my most recent Skill, listening for any foreign heartbeat, be it just one or one of many. This was a useful Skill, and not using it right now was a bad idea in and of itself. There were also bushes near the dynamo itself, meaning that there were places that someone or something could hide. I wasn't willing to take the risk of leaving us open to attack. I had no idea how useful it would be tonight.

Cardin tapped my shoulder, catching my attention. I caught him gesturing to the bushes to the right of the dynamo in my peripherals, implying that he had either a feeling or some way to see something that I couldn't. He leaned over and whispered something about a warm spot in the bush that he wanted me to check out, warning me to keep an eye out and a sword ready. I nodded and inched closer to the bush, ready to summon either sword at a moment's notice.

Seven feet from the bush, and I familiarized myself with Cardin's pulse. _Thump-thump_ went his heart with a fiery passion, burning hotter as I grew closer to the bush. He was preparing himself for an attack, though what attack that would be was beyond me.

Five feet from the bush. Nothing. There was nothing right at the edge of the bush, meaning either Cardin's just overreacting or this _thing_ is deeper in.

Four feet from the brush. I sensed a great presence of Earth, and Heart's Eye could sense about a foot into the thicket. Still, no other pulse aside from Cardin's and my own. I pressed further, a bit more wary due to Nature's Eye catching onto something within the bushes.

I inched forwards until I was about two feet away from the bush, sending nothing more than excessive Earth Element. Maybe someone dropped a crystal here? Eh, it's nothing so f-

_Thump-thump_. A malicious heartbeat reached my senses, just at the edge of my range. It was just between the bush and the dynamo, only now entering the bush to remain hidden. It was deeply tied to Earth, but it had no idea that I sensed its presence. Cardin was right, there _was_ someone here. An Earth Mage, by their presence, but their Level was beyond me for now.

I backed off just in time for the presence to dart further into my range, trying to catch up with me. I summoned my Fire Sword and prepared to fight, sending Cardin draw his mace and swinging it into a combat position with ease. The presence reached the edge of the bushes, exiting the foliage to reveal a figure in a brown cloak bearing two short swords, one of steel and one of pure Earth Element. I could see his eyes, but his cloak was keeping me from seeing his Level.

"Enchantments," I warned Cardin. The teen nodded, and his indigo eyes flashed a cracked orange temporarily. I summoned my other blade, catching the intruder off guard. I kept my focus on the… whoever they were, and maintained a close combat distance well outside of their range of attack but too close for any Spells. "Who are you, and why were you hiding?"

The figure stayed silent, twirling his blades as he breathed heavily. Cardin grew firmer in his stance, as did I upon actually seeing his Ability give him a strong Buff. It was like my Burning Wrath, only it inhibited his pain and increased his strength and speed. This strange Buff also limited his ability to reason, but it only lasted for so long.

"Earth Mage, Level 34," Cardin called. "He's got Berserker on him. Earth Dust, too. Keep mid-close range from him."

I nodded, adopting my own combat stance. The man walked around us like a rabid predator, knowing that we were dangerous but not seeming to care about his own wellbeing. His standing mere inches from my blades saw to that.

"Get low," Cardin warned me. I hopped back and rolled backwards as he formed and launched a Medium Fireball at our foe. The fiend was struck heavily by the attack, but he pressed his own while he charged at us. His cloak burned away, giving me a good look at him as I went on the defensive. He was around my height, despite being older than I and obviously crazier. He had dirty brown hair and insane green eyes, several scars and dirty scratches on his face that I saw as he went in for an attack.

He never reached me, as Cardin smacked his face with his mace - which was now the same cracked orange as his eyes were - and sent him flying. I pressed my own attack, swinging with a heavy downwards strike with my Healing Sword, thrusting with the Fire Sword. The Earth Mage rolled out of the way, leaving his burning robe behind him. On his person was a number of Earth Dust crystals lining his chest, fueling his madness. He kicked me to the side and cast an Earth Spike Spell after me. I jumped over the spikes, landing right beside Cardin as the teen batted away the mad Mage.

"Tired yet," Cardin asked me sarcastically. I shook my head.

"What, are you getting sleepy," I returned with the same humorous attitude. The Earth Mage seemed infuriated with this, roaring angrily and charging. He sounded as though he had infused himself with an Elemental. It would explain the power set, due to the sheer density of Earth in his Spells. And speaking of, he was forming two Earth Swords in his hands with great effort, molding them to his will and filling them to the brim with Earth Element. He kept them floating with Maga before forming two Earth Spikes to push the blades forth at intoxicating speeds. I wasn't that dumb though, as I could see hints of corrupted Life and Fire on the edges. Cardin must've seen it too, as he swung his mace in an upwards arc to crush the incoming blade. His mace cracked at the neck but succeeded in destroying the rocky projectile. I used my blades to swiftly cut into the second blade, pulverizing the packed dirt into a brown cloud of gravel and soil.

"It's time to end this," I declared. "Guy's been getting on my nerves. Cardin, you got one last attack in you?"

"Do I ever," he returned proudly. "Let's do it, I'm hungry!"

With that said, he unleashed his Ability known as Eruption, wherein he packed as much Fire into his fists as possible and shot forth an unholy volcanic blast of red hot energy. He did this right at the Earth Mage, whose best defense was to create a Packed Stone Wall. It wasn't nearly dense enough to last long against such an attack, but the assault itself didn't last long either. The wall melted down into magma, revealing the Mage panting heavily after such a use of Maga. His face was red and his nose was already bleeding. He bad pushed himself too far already, but his actions didn't express a will to stop. In fact, he kept trying to use more Element than he should be able to. He was too distracted to realize that I had closed the distance with Burning Wrath, and my swift attack was barely blocked by his Base Armor. He used his blades to try to keep up with my speeds, which were only growing faster as I let myself loose on his sorry tail end.

He tried to stab me, but his blade broke on my vest, which shocked him back into reality. I pooled my Maga and Fire into my right fist, preparing for one final attack. His other blade snapped clean in two as I blocked it. I could tell that they were meant for assassination rather than actual combat, giving us the advantage.

I kicked him away and returned my blades to their scabbards with the Blade Summon Skill. I enabled Maga Fist and ignited it with as much Fire as I could muster, grabbing him by the Dust vest and spinning him around in such a way that I could feasibly punch him into Cardin, who seemed onboard with the idea. Not that I was _for_ this idea, but the moment he assumed a brawler's stance I knew that he had a plan. A stupid plan revolving around the assumption that our foe would stay down long enough to take it, which he certainly wasn't doing with me.

I threw my fist into his gut hard enough that he _would_ be thrown back either way, but the Fire and Maga ended up performing nicely enough to toss him all the way to Cardin. Speaking of my brother, he quickly threw his foot out to meet our attacker - essentially kicking the man in the face - before bringing his foot back down to earth in a violent axe kick to the chest. He immediately began releasing the Earth Element from within his body, caught by no Dust because I had torn his vest clean off of his person. I felt a hint of XP flow into me, gaining me yet another Level and Skill. I could only assume that Cardin had the rest of it, given that he had managed to deliver the finishing kick. Speaking of, that was one punishing kick. I wonder if his trainer taught him that?

"Nicely done, Jaune," Cardin congratulated me. He nodded at me firmly, breathing a bit hard from exertion. I was having the same problem, to be honest. We had just taken down a Level 34… hold on just a minute. His Level just went down to just below mine. How in the… was I seeing an Elemental's Level?

"Alright, bub," Cardin growled, kneeling before the downed Mage. I began my short walk to where they were in the yard, not wanting to risk losing my brother. "You're gonna tell us how you got here and why you even came."

The Earth Mage simply grumbled angrily at Cardin. I arrived in his line of sight, still bearing the signs and markings of Burning Wrath due to it still being active.

"Or I could let my brother here cut loose on you," Cardin threatened. "See, one of his Abilities allows him to have a bigger powderkeg at the cost of a shorter fuse, and I'm pretty sure he's pretty mad at you for trying to kill us." I nodded, playing along. "And if he doesn't _kill_ you, I'm pretty sure he wants to make you _wish_ he had." I nodded. The Mage grew a bit more scared as I towered menacingly over him. "So I would answer me if I were you, or you could be in a world of pain and misery for a good while." The Mage rolled his eyes and glared at us.

"Isn't it obvious," the Mage growled sarcastically. "I _walked_ here, and I'm a higher Level Mage than you two are _combined_."

"So you're really a Level 55 Mage, huh," Cardin assumed with extra dramatics. "Then I guess we'd better soften you up, right Jaune?"

To go along with our theme, I gave a devilish smile down towards our foe. He shivered in both fear and cold, mostly cold because we managed to turn down the heat.

"Okay, you win," the Mage shivered. "I allowed an Earth Elemental to possess me, give me its strength in exchange for one thing it wanted. I can't feel it anymore, so I'm guessing it left already."

"Yeah, it left alright," I snickered. "It's probably off in another world or Nexus right now. We hit him hard, right Cardin?" My brother nodded. I think I was playing a bit _too_ well into the role, but it was working well enough to get some answers.

"So you're an Elemental-possessed Mage who just _walked_ here," Cardin recalled the man's answers. "On your own, or did someone _tell_ you to come?"

"If someone told me to come, do you think I'd tell you that it was the Cult of the Hallowed Earth coming to save the world from the sons of Fire?" Cardin and I looked at each other and just started cackling. The man looked confused, glancing between us two. "What? Did I tell a joke?"

"Nah, but you told us that you wouldn't tell us what you just told us," I wheezed between fits of laughter. The man paled, and his heart began to beat faster.

"So, they want to kill someone," Cardin realized after he calmed down. "Then why are they after us? Are we these 'sons of Fire', or is this just a case of mistaken identity?" The man growled and drew a hidden pistol from his pocket. A revolver with three rounds in it, each one filled with Fire and Lava. Infernal Bullets. He aimed at Cardin and fired, then at me and did the same. For Cardin, the bullet didn't even touch him because the gun wasn't even pointed right at him. As for me, the bullet exploded in my face due to my high Elemental and Physical Resistances. A third gunshot fired off into the night, but the cloud of smoke in my way prevented me from seeing anything until I saw that Cardin had taken the revolver and thrown it to the ground away from the terrified man. He had a furious look in his eye, picking up the Mage by the collar and growling in his face. The Mage was definitely afraid now.

"I take that as a yes," Cardin growled. "Now, _buddy_. You're going to _walk_ home, tell your _buddies_ to leave us alone, and _leave_. Us. _Alone_. Got it? Good, I'm glad we could agree on something. Now _beat it_!"

Cardin threw the poor man with his incredible Strength, sending the man sprawling and scrambling to run away. I took this new safe opportunity to check the dynamo. Turns out, he had just disconnected the main wire from the terminal. What a way to grab our attention. I reconnected the wire and went on my merry way.

"Well, now we know that we're being hunted," Cardin sighed, rising to his feet. I nodded, forcing Burning Wrath to run out of energy with a flaming crackle. "I'm gonna have to tell my trainer tomorrow morning. Let her know that we might have some issues with… interruptions or an audience."

"Yeah, I'll have to tell my masters too," I huffed. "Although, I think you'll need a new weapon for combat." Cardin sighed and nodded.

"I take it you got the beaks and talons for me while you were out," he asked, giving me a glance to the side. I nodded.

"A bit too much of everything, to be honest," I admitted. "Also got some Harpy ribs. Couldn't get the meat fresh, so I had to go to a market to deliver, but I got it done."

"Ribs, huh," Cardin turned his head. We were almost at the front porch at this point. "What're those for?"

"Well, they don't break as easy and I can melt them with Living Flames," I explained. "Good for armor, weapons, and maybe something else too. Got a bag full. Want some?" Cardin nodded with a smile.

"Bro, you never cease to amaze and amuse me," he slapped my shoulder proudly. "Get yourself another pauldron, I hate you being uneven." I chuckled. "And get those swords of yours enameled. Don't want them breaking like my other mace, eh?"

"That mace was flimsy, just like _your_ mace," I remarked with a grin. He punched my shoulder, opening the front door.

"At least I didn't have to upgrade mine to be able to touch it, unlike yours," he returned. We shared a chuckle out of that.

"You jerk," I said with a smile. A distant gunshot could be heard as we closed the door, but we didn't really hear it too well.

_Current XP: 11.88 of 950. XP to Gary: 9,036.94. Training time: 4 months, 8 days._

**End**

* * *

**A/N: And I apologize for the delay. My whole month's been full. As of the time of me writing this, June 20, my brother has made a fantastic recovery so far. He can now lift his whole leg and bend his broken knee a full 70 degrees now. He isn't in nearly as much pain as he was in just a few weeks ago, as I'm sure some of you can understand. My financial situation is resolving itself quite nicely, and I may have figured out why I'm getting so stressed out. Now that I know, I was able to let it go and should be much more able and willing to write now. Yeah, for a bit there I wasn't quite sure enough on what I wanted to write, so I just… didn't.**

**Regardless, I have returned at least for the time being. Tell me what you guys think in a Review, I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and if you have any guesses on what's going on with Atlanta, be sure to tell me. You never know, it could give me ideas on later chapters and stories. And speaking of, if you happen to have an idea, don't hesitate to tell me in either a Review or a PM. I have open PMs, so if you want to chat there feel free to gimme a call.**

**Now I gotta get lost. My head is spinning, and my whole body's just melting in the heat. So I'll see you all soon, and I'll be sure to keep an ear out for you guys. This is General Texas, signing out.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Okay, I'm pleased with the feedback from last chapter, but I **_**do**_ **have a few fish to catch before something gets out of hand. In order to do so, however, I **_**may**_ **have to single out those specific Reviews. No names will be given for the sake of honor, but I do feel like it has to be nipped in the bud before I continue the story.**

**First Review, the first one that guessed the situation correctly, reads as follows: "**_**They have got to be idiots because I'm sure that it's a baby.**_**" To that, I have to say this: in our modern age, we have ultrasound, experienced doctors, appropriate tests, and the seemingly omniscient internet to help us determine when a woman is… well, you know. Back in the Industrial Revolution, all they had was the experienced doctors, maybe some tests as well, and I don't think they had very many of either that were totally available to the public. As such, a new mother might not know about it until either much later or whenever a doctor is available, and even then the doctor could be wrong. Atlanta is a new mother in the early weeks, so the only thing she had going for her were some of the related symptoms and Jaune's Skill. As you may have realized, Jaune can't sense his own heartbeat, and Gary has no heart given his punitive size, so even if she **_**did**_ **have Heart's Eye, she probably wouldn't be able to hear the same heartbeat until later on. In short, Magnus and Atlanta aren't idiots, but they aren't experienced with this sort of thing either. Minor but significant difference.**

**Next Review, a more lighthearted comment: "**_**I like the mace and sword jokes and omg the goddess of wisdom has a life bundle!**_**" I do like the enthusiasm, but… I think you confused your mythology slightly. No offense to you, of course, but the Greek Goddess of Wisdom was Athena, not Atlanta. **_**Atlanta**_**, or Atalanta in the original Greek literature, was a strong warrior woman who was turned into a lion by Zeus, alongside her lover whose name I forgot, when they did the dirty in his temple thanks to the ever-shipping Aphrodite. It could also be a reference to the capital of Georgia, U.S. Also, fun fact - I forgot I had made those jokes in the first place, so I had to go back and reread that whole chapter to find them. Glad you liked them (Docs autocorrected liked to **_**killed**_**, so I had a bit of a laughing fit after I finished writing this).**

**In any case, keep in mind that Jaune doesn't quite understand the concept of pregnancy, and neither do I, so much to do with it will be skipped the Hell over. Also, this whole thing might cause me to up the rating to M to be safe. Especially in later chapters. Fair warning.**

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_**I own no RWBY. I am no good author. Seriously, I'm only doing so well because I'm taking it slowly and you guys are helping me. Thank you all so much for the help and encouragement. I also don't own the Gamer idea, but I have a couple more ideas for Gamer-RWBY stories in my head-noggin.**_

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**Jaune Arc (14)**

**Level 24 Paladin (Unaligned)**

**Passive XP: 0.28 per day**

**XP to Level 25: 11.88 of 950**

**XP taken by Gary: 9,036.94**

**Base Armor: 52**

**Skills to obtain: 1**

**Stats**

**Strength: 106 (Labor 45, Combat 83, Force 46, Control 60), Intelligence: 98 (Wisdom 57, Intelligence 54, Technical 35, Strategy 46), Constitution: 121 (Immunity 90, Endurance 124, Tolerance 112, Maga 158), Agility: 150 (Balance 50, Flexibility 48, Speed 52), Social: 101 (Emotion 97, Compassion 99), Resistance: 158 (Physical 158, Magical 156, Elemental 156)**

**Equipment**

**Leather Padded Woven Jacket (Armor 24, Weight 0.15, Movement 0.1), Keratin-Brass Armored Leather Vest (Armor 38, Weight 0.25, Movement 0.15, Combat Buff), Keratin-Brass Armored Woven Pants (Armor 28, Weight 0.2, Movement 0.15, Defense Buff), Keratin-Plated Leather Boots (Armor 12, Weight 0.05, Movement 0.05), Keratin-Brass Pauldron (Armor 16, Weight 0.05, Movement 0, Armor Buff), Steel Healing Sword Tier III (Piercing 42, Weight 4, Sturdiness 56, Element 125 Life, heals wielder passively), Steel Fire Sword Tier III (Piercing 44, Weight 4, Sturdiness 54, Element 126 Fire, increases effectiveness of Fire attacks by 65%, inflicts Burning debuff on targets with less than 50 Elemental Resistance)**

**Total Armor: 83**

**Abilities**

**Element Seeker, Burning Wrath (New Discovery)**

**Skills**

**Nature's Eye, Heart's Eye, Dust Acquisition, Fishing III, Hunting III, Survival III, Cooking II (Self-Taught), Metalworking II, Weapons Basics III, Unarmed Combat IV, Defense I, Enhanced Takedowns, Armed Takedowns, Basic Monster Knowledge, Elemental Knowledge VI, Fire Efficiency, Life Efficiency, Maga Efficiency, Stats, Pathfinder, Mountain Climber, Elemental Summon, Seeker (Self-Taught), Rapid Fire, Blade Summon (Self-Taught), Culture I, Dual Cast, Dynamo Repair Basics (Self-Taught, just remembered)**

**Spells**

**Living Fireball III, Living Flame Pulse III, Flamethrower II, Flame Missile, Flame Dispel, Flame Wings, Flame Embodiment, Meteoric Punch, Sulfur Blast, Pyre, Basalt Skin, Healer III, Root Punch, Cedar Oak, Sturdy Roots, Forest Camouflage, Peat Bomb, Lightning Bolt II, Maga Punch, Maga Guard**

**Buffs**

**Weakness, Second Opinion, XP Drain, Symbiotic Binds, Nature's Grace, Comfortable, Puberty, Recent Tragedy, Training, Recent Happiness, Recent Attack (someone recently tried to take his life, awareness buffed, focus temporarily dropped), New Discovery, Worrisome Knowledge (has a better understanding of a dark plot in the works, drops focus slightly), Combat: Strength (increases combat effectiveness by 25%, effective Combat Strength by 2), Defense: Resistance (increases defensive Skill and item effectiveness by 15%, effective Resistance by 2), Armor: Penetration (increases Total Armor by an additional 10% of Base Armor, decreases effective Piercing of incoming attacks by 2)**

**Class Buffs: Healing Aura, Defensive Aura**

**Active Quests: Cardin (Finished)**

* * *

This morning during training, I told Minor about the attack at my own home. No one was really paying attention to this, as Magnus and Atlanta were impatiently waiting for an experienced practitioner to confirm the information I had given yesterday. Minor was too distracted by training me, finishing up with his most recent teachings before showing me something new. It wasn't so much a Skill, more an art of war as he called it. A martial art, an eastern Mistraali one known as muay thai, wherein I would be learning the more advanced self-defense techniques developed in the art. I quickly learned that he wasn't paying attention, forcing me to wait for lunch to speak my piece.

Once I had mastered Defense I and the two grappling Skills, I was violently thrust into what I can potentially say is by far and to date one of the most hellish training sessions I have ever entered, far surpassing even the four months of rigorous body shredding training I had recently recovered from. I knew all too well just how far beneath Minor I was, but I was immediately schooled on just what it would mean to even come up to his level. The discipline required to learn this martial art was so intense that I wasn't even able to fully reach the basics of muay thai today. Instead, I only registered a percentage of the Beltless Muay Thai Skill, which found its home in a new branch of Skills akin to Spells: Martial Arts.

By the time lunch was even started, I was sweating so much that there was a literal puddle forming under my feet. I was shaking all over, hot from exertion and the sun yet cool from the mere existence of the air and all the sweat that was literally dripping from my eyebrows. I've been like this since the first several minutes, Minor's been training me so viciously. I have to say, I've never been this exhausted since my first day truly training with him. My arms were sore beyond belief, my legs were barely strong enough to keep my body upright, my torso was burning in every conceivable place, and I was hungrier than I remember ever being. I was literally wheezing, trembling, and aching all over, unable to do much more physical training. At least my Strength would rise, as would my Resistance from all those hits I took. Yeah, Minor got so into the training that he seemed to forget that I was Beltless, whatever that means. Either that, or literally beating the moves into your student's head is par for the course with Martial Arts.

Over lunch, I couldn't stand the nervous silence. Minor was completely stoic, Cinder was off in her apartment getting ready for this afternoon's training session, Magnus was seemingly as worried as his wife, and Atlanta was occasionally feeling just below her ribs. I don't know why, but something tells me that Magnus won't be teaching me many more Spells today. Regardless, they all need to know about the attack and new information from yesterday.

"Something happened yesterday," I said between bites. Heads perked up, eyes on me in a single moment. At the same time, the door opened and in walked Cinder herself. She apologized for her tardiness, kissing Minor on the cheek before sitting right next to him, dishing up some lunch for herself.

"I'm sorry, did I miss something," Cinder asked, ignoring the tension in the room. The tension was about to grow and shift between topics rapidly. I nodded silently.

"I was about to talk about yesterday, when I got home," I explained. "And speaking of, Cardin got home when I did. Apparently, his training involves a big metal club and a breastplate that weighs as much as I do."

Minor chuckled at that. Magnus didn't really react to this, knowing what knights were like with experience. Atlanta and Cinder blinked a couple of times, completely blindsided by the idea of armor weighing as much as a short teenage kid.

"I get the feeling there's more to the story," Minor spoke his thoughts.

"Yeah, there is," I confirmed. "The dynamo went out, and we both went to check it out. He told me about some quest he did with his own trainer, where they were ambushed by Earth Mages. They survived, but the Mages said something about these 'sons of Fire'."

Atlanta dropped her fork with a loud clatter. Magnus nearly choked on his pasta, while Minor paused just before taking a huge bite. Cinder herself seemed to freeze for a moment before continuing. The tension in the air went from tropical to nautical in seconds as they soaked this information in.

"There's more," I continued.

"Oh no," Magnus groaned. "Don't tell me you ran across one."

"While we were checking out the dynamo, we were ambushed by an Earth Mage," I went on. "Cardin and I were able to beat him back, but I think that's because he was just under my own Level. Thing is, he had an Earth Elemental in him, Level 30 or so. We interrogated him and let him go, but I don't think he made it back to his comrades."

Terrified silence filled the room. Magnus visibly held back a curse, fuming at the notion of an attack on his disciple. Minor seemed proud of me that I was able to beat back a person around my Level, even if it was accomplished with help. Cinder seemed exhausted already, seemingly having had enough of the Earth Mage shenanigans. Atlanta, on the other hand, seemed the most scared of them all. I could understand why they would have their reactions, myself having experienced all of these emotions and reactions last night already. On the other hand, I was more intrigued about their whole philosophy in trying to 'save the world by killing the sons of Fire', even if I didn't fully understand it.

"Well, you beat him back successfully, correct," Minor muttered proudly, following through on his paused bite. He finished chewing and quickly swallowed as if to finish his thought. "I only wish he were stronger than you."

"He wasn't, but the Elemental that possessed him was by a bit," I explained. "Cardin ended up breaking his mace on him, and we both ended up using one of our Abilities on him," I corrected. Minor clapped his hands with a chuckle and a vibrant smile. "It wasn't _really_ tough, but Cardin ended up using all of his Fire on him. I had to refill my Element before I came today. Honestly, we both thought it was more of a nuisance. I think Terra summed it up quite nicely last night: 'yay, more people who want us to die'."

Cinder and Minor snickered at this admission, amused by the lack of fear in our reactions. Magnus didn't seem terribly upset, but he was less than pleased about the idea of an attack on his student. Atlanta seemed to calm down a bit, although worry was still evident on her face. I wasn't done yet, though. I had yet another statement to make.

"That's not all," I finished. "When Cardin and I interrogated him, he told us that he was part of a cult. The Cult of the Hallowed Earth, I think he called it. They apparently think they're saving the world, if I remember correctly. The whole thing was too short to really get too much out of him."

Magnus groaned loudly upon hearing the name of the cult, letting his head fall into his hands. Atlanta bowed her head in defeat and utter embarrassment when she heard the name. Minor started laughing so loudly that he was echoing throughout the house when I mentioned the whole 'saving the world' part. Cinder rolled her eyes dramatically before digging into her dish. I could only assume that they knew more about it than I did. Whatever they knew, I needed to know about it soon.

"Jaune, those idiots are so weak and foolhardy that the only reason I'm worried for you is the fact that their members are stronger than you are, even if just barely," Magnus admitted, picking his head up enough for him to lock eyes with me. "To be honest, if anything that's all the more reason to buckle down and learn more Spells more quickly. Oh, and speaking of, Cinder?" Cinder perked her head up and glanced at him shortly. "I'm afraid that Atlanta and I will be busy with more important matters. Would you be willing to train Jaune this afternoon?" She turned her head to me with a devilish glint in her eye, turned back to Magnus, and nodded excitedly. I swallowed the growing lump in my throat. "Many thanks. Help him finish Flame Punch and Guard, then move on with Flamethrower Punch."

Oh no.

* * *

"Aagh, that was intense," I got out as I stumbled through the door of my home. Cardin was already home, but he seemed to be in a much better condition than I was. In fact, he was spotless, active, and chatting with our younger sisters. He gave me a quick look as if to ask me if I was dying. His eyes quickly widened to see my scorched body lumbering through the foyer like a Possessed Skeleton or an Undead. "God save me. Ach!" _Pop_! My spine nearly gave out as a rib popped, sending pain shooting through my body like the Flamethrower Punch I had just learned to utilize. And considering the sooty marks on my skin, there was no reason that those wouldn't hurt as well. Combined with the twitch around my chest that came with the pop, the pain added up to more than I was willing to stand for, physically _and_ literally. All the same, I walked up to the baths upstairs and managed to take a soothing hot bath. I ended up using some relaxing salts in the bath to relax the ache in my system.

As I relaxed in the bath, I couldn't help but ponder the insanity that was my day. First, I woke up and discussed with Cardin if and when to tell our respective trainers, where we ended up agreeing that it was too risky _not_ to tell them our findings. Then, I ended up getting thrown through the basics on Muay Thai, which ended up costing me several dozen bruises, lowered stats, and an Exhaustion Debuff for about a half hour. After that, telling Magnus and the others was risky enough given how stressed the quartet was already, but they seemed to handle things just fine… until Cinder began her training me. Every inch of my skin hurt, she was so brutal in her training. I was certain that she scorched most of the hair off of my leg. And speaking of her training regime, her idea of teaching involved making me _experience_ the very attacks I was giving, followed by _using_ them on me when I screwed up as a 'reminder', then by showing me just how much I needed to grow and improve to reach her level by making me fight her _using_ the very things she had taught me. And of course, she was at least twenty Levels my senior, so the gap was huge, shattering my pride, wrecking my body, and scrambling my mind with anger and envy.

On the other hand, the day was pretty well successful. As it turns out, Muay Thai at the very least gave me around 7.5 XP for learning 15 percent of the basics, indicating that chances are high that I _should_ get 100 XP from learning the basics, granted I didn't have a Parasite that sucks out my XP and thus my limiting growth factor. Combined with all of the blocks and parries I had to perform to 'master' my other Skills before and while learning Muay Thai, and the three Spells I had managed to learn, and I _should_ have some decent XP from today. However, I'm still more excited about the Martial Art, which Minor called 'the gateway to Martial Arts, the master of masters in unarmed combat'. Also, Cinder mentioned something about Arcane Spells, which I can only assume is a reference to another type of Spell. I'm curious about both, as they both displayed great prowess with their respective 'arts'. Cinder had hit me with a huge Fire Punch that she called 'Burning Tiger Palm', the same attack that had gotten me to the point where I looked like a cross between a Lava Elemental and the inside of a well-worn unclean chimney. I was curious, yet at the same time I wasn't quite sure if I wanted to get hit with any of this again.

I gently scrubbed the soot and burned sweat off of my body, softly taking the rough sponge to my caked flesh. Today I was forced to empty the water about five times, a record I hoped wouldn't soon be broken. God, I was sore.

Dinner was only somewhat exciting, as Cardin was finally learning his first true Martial Art, but it was surprising to hear that he wasn't learning Muay Thai. Apparently, an art called Judo is a thing, his trainer is less strict, and Cardin didn't learn Muay Thai before Judo. Thing is, _he_ called Judo the gateway Martial Art, whereas I had learned that Muay Thai was. We had spent almost half of the meal arguing about which one was really the gateway and which one was just a jester on a king's throne.

"Boys, boys," Crystal called about halfway through dinner, interrupting our argument and walking calmly over to us. "You're both wrong. Muay Thai is among the most advanced Martial Arts out there, and Judo is pretty well-known itself. _But_ neither of them are 'gateway', whatever that means. If you want a real starting Martial Art, go with kickboxing."

"But isn't that just some basic Skills for combat," Cardin asked dumbly. I couldn't help but agree.

"Well if you never learn to punch or kick," Crystal replied, raising her arms and a leg like a bird, "you'll never learn to do _this_." She gave a short war cry before performing a brutal double kick that took all of a split second to strike both Cardin and myself in the heads. We both cried out in a mix of shock, pain, and disappointment in ourselves. For me, it was mostly just a painful headache that had _just_ gone away and was now back in full force due to the kick.

The rest of the day went smoothly, and Cardin asked Saffron to send the Black Talon Beaks, Talons, and a small number of Ribs - as well as a specified blueprint and instructions - to Quartz for forging. He claimed that he would simply need a new mace since, and I quote, "my last training session with Jaune ended with a broken mace," which I must say is a smooth cover story. Although, now that I think about it, it sort of _was_ a training session of sorts… one where we were training to fight against a mad cultist Mage with an Elemental inside of him, but a training session nonetheless. I sent some coinage his way to cover the expenses, as Cardin keeps forgetting to bring his money bags back from training.

"So what was that kick you pulled off during dinner," Cardin asked just before the sun set that evening. Crystal paused for a moment or two as if to ponder the pros and cons of telling us her 'secret art'.

"Are you two gonna behave if I tell you," she returned with a question. I nodded. Cardin nodded. She nodded, content with our response. There must be stars in my gentle gunmetal navy eyes.

"_I_ taught her that one," Mom said just behind us, nearly giving me a heart attack when she spoke. She reached over and ruffled my messy dark gold hair. The ruffling revealed the old cut on my cheek from the Earth Mage attacking me. "It's called Kung Fu, it's one of the few Martial Arts with more than one specific style. The one _she_ used there was called Crane, and I learned it because a good Mage always has a backup plan. It was light enough that I could use it, strong enough that I could protect myself, and not too taxing on the mind so I could focus on my Spells."

Cardin and I were awestruck by this. True, we weren't Monks or Brawlers, but we were both learning Martial Arts because of our Classes. To hear that such an advanced Martial Art existed was amazing to our young ears. I wondered just what it meant to learn all of those Martial Arts styles and master them, even if only briefly.

"Well, you two boys had best be getting to bed," Mom said. She wasn't carrying a bottle just yet, although I _have_ caught her doing so on occasion. "Now that you're learning Martial Arts and Spells, you need your rest if you want to train well. Especially since your Classes are so combat-oriented."

Cardin and I said goodnight to our mother and sister with kisses and 'I love you's. We were both still young enough to show child-like affection to our mother. I personally had a greater attachment to her since I've lived with her literally all of my life, but Cardin loved her just as much. She was, after all, the one who not only saved him from his abusive mother but the one who gave him a home after the mad woman was gone. Dad was the same, so he was just as… God, it's hard to talk about… Cardin was just as broken as I was when Dad left us for good. Actually, maybe Cardin was more so than I was, since Dad wasn't the first father figure who he had lost in his life. I just hope it doesn't become a cycle for him, the deaths of father figures.

_Current XP: 39.41 of 950. XP to Gary: 9,064.61. Training time: 4 months, 9 days._

* * *

_7 weeks later…_

I gasped for breath as I assumed the combat stance. Minor had little issues breathing… as per freaking usual. Atlanta watched from the sidelines, as had become something normal in this household. My Endurance had shot up to almost 200, as did my Speed, Balance, and several other stats, all thanks to my Muay Thai training. I wasn't quite up to Minor's level, literally or figuratively. He was a Level 45 Fire-aligned Grand Knight now, while I was stuck as a Level 28 Paladin with no affinity or alignment. On top of that, he was a Master Black Belt II in Muay Thai, with stats far beyond necessity for such a skillset and a secret technique to make him stronger in the art; I, on the other hand, was merely an Orange Belt Mastery I in the same art, had stats barely keeping up with the training, and no special skills aside from Burning Wrath, a few Spells, and a pair of swords to raise my combat efficiency. In other words, he was in a class of his own, even if our Classes were of similar significance.

On the one hand, I was bogged down with things he never had to deal with growing up, such as a Parasite that eats half of my XP, making me stronger than he was when he was my Level and age. The benefits might or might not add up. I was also training in Spells as well as Martial Arts and swordplay, trained twice a day rather than his once, and had a brother who was similar to him at that age save for a few personality traits. A brother who I could now actually fight against rather than just wrestle with.

Speaking of Cardin, I - .

_WHACK!_ "OWW!" I screamed. It wasn't as painful as a bone mace to the face, but a metal canteen thrown at one's head wasn't something one could sneeze at without either ducking _from_ it, catching it, or getting hit _by_ it.

"Pay attention," Magnus called from the sidelines as he looked for another canteen for his brother. "No daydreaming, Jaune."

"Had I been a year younger, that would've killed me," I hollered.

"Had you been a year younger, you'd be either a prodigy or dead," Minor commented. He caught his bottle with ease.

"Easy for you to say," I grumbled. Minor chuckled as he fumbled with the metal cap.

"Would you believe me if I told you I was a late bloomer," he said with a smile. I…

Huh?

"I was," he continued, confirming what I had just heard. "I wasn't even eligible for an apprenticeship when I was your current age. It wasn't until I turned sixteen that I was even eligible, and almost seven months later that your father decided to have mercy on me and train me in my Class. The toughest two years of my life followed shortly thereafter, but I regret none of it."

"Six months of training, and I'm not even halfway to Knight," I gasped. "You said that you finished your training in six."

"I said I _would_ have," he stated. "However, knowledge and strength are two very different things. In order to use my knowledge, I had to grow stronger by at least twice the margin you came to me with."

"Us," Magnus corrected. I couldn't help but chuckle.

"My point still stands," Minor barreled through the interruption. "I wasn't at your strength _or_ intellect, but I was also a blank slate. I was untaught, unlike you in that you were taught… _wrongly_."

"Lunch," Atlanta said, coming slowly to the table where Saffron and Terra were helping to set it up already. She presumably thanked the younger women for the help, but I couldn't hear her from that distance. I _could_, on the other hand, hear her heartbeat.

_Thump-thump_. The sound was music to my ears at this point. Magnus carrying the lively fire, Atlanta bearing the gentle meadow, Cinder holding a somewhat dark and silent inferno, and Minor taking care of a raging yet lonely fire. Even at over a dozen feet away, I could hear the heartbeats of both my sister and her wife. The earthly swell and rumble of Terra, whose heartbeat was strong and steady. The open wind that seemed wild and erratic yet calm and serene coming from Saffron, the gentle pulse that balanced out Terra.

_Pup-pup_. I heard the slowly growing heartbeat from within Atlanta, nurtured and carried within the young Life Mage. There was a smaller pulse than this coming from either Saffron or Terra, but which one I couldn't tell just yet. What I _could_ tell was that the Debuff has yet to come on, it's so early on for them. At least, I _heard_ that a Debuff comes with whatever they're going through. I don't actually _know_, per se. I'm apparently not supposed to get it, according to Magnus.

_Thump-thump_. I felt a spiteful pulse nearby, hiding in the brush near the house. A Level 32 Earth Mage, one bearing no Elemental, hiding in the brush as if to spy on us. I ignored him, as he stayed in place… mostly because I had beaten him just this morning and tied him up there to get him to shut up about 'glory and honor and saving the world from the tyranny of the sons of Fire', but fear was also present in his heartbeat.

A knock came at the front door, and I witnessed Saffron pause setting up lunch to check the door. She opened the door to reveal none other than Cardin, who was here to brawl against me as proof of performance for both his trainer and my two teachers. Cardin was now at Level 35, leaving me in the dust entirely. I was somewhat disheartened by this, but it wasn't enough to make me quit or anything. I just wanted to figure out a way to square up faster, keep pace with him. So far, I had found nothing, no way to do so without going crazy with quests and hunts. 'Quest farming' as Minor called it, which I didn't even _feel_ ready for.

Speaking of, I was now skilled enough in the Knight Class that I could be considered a lower high-tier Knight. Cardin was a middle high-tier, almost a full-on Knight so far, which was slightly embarrassing since I was training longer. He claimed that he was only training once a day, but for some reason I highly doubted it. My only advantage over him was the fact that I was an Orange Belt with a mark, whereas he was only a Yellow Belt with no marks last time I asked him two days ago, so maybe he actually has a mark now. I was almost hoping that I could impress my two teachers with that, along with facing a stronger foe than I. So far, I just hoped that I wouldn't have to use Burning Wrath to keep pace.

_Help me, Lord_, I silently prayed. I was unsure if He would answer or not, but He definitely did. I didn't expect what it would be, though…

Lunch was oddly stressful, but I think back then I only thought it was nerves. Cardin seemed similarly nervous, and I had initially thought he didn't want to disappoint his trainer. Hindsight is such a pain.

There we were in the backyard, standing equipped in our white training pants and completely shirtless. I had assumed a basic stance, defending all corners despite having more advanced styles in my repertoire. Cardin was prepared for combat across from me, using a lighter-seeming stance than my own as if he were afraid to hurt me too badly. We were both in a ring about twenty feet across, fifteen feet between us. The first one to submit or leave the ring would lose, meaning I would need to subdue Cardin quickly given his size and strength, forgetting altogether about Eruption. Cheering for Cardin was our friend Sky, who was training under the same Knight Baron to use the larger swords as a heavier Knight. He wasn't nearly as powerful as Cardin, but Cardin was also stronger than I was despite the training I have received. Comes with the territory, I guess.

"Jaune," Magnus said from outside the circle. "Ready up?" I nodded, adjusting my stance slightly to protect against a quick barrage. "Cardin, ready up?" He nodded, rising on his toes slightly. "Alright. Dominic, the honors?"

"Gladly," said the noble. He turned to us and raised his voice, hidden in the shade of the patio sunroof. "Fighters set! On my mark. Three… two… _mark!_"

Cardin had the swift first strike, going for a left jab to the shoulder with a left kick to the hip to follow immediately thereafter. I was swift to dodge the jab, even if just barely, and blocked the kick with my forearm as I rose to the pace he had set. Our first encounter was rather short unfortunately, as we both tested the other for strengths and weaknesses. He would throw swift jabs and sharp punches, and I would be just as swift to block, redirect, and counter with my own punches and palm strikes. Cardin was the first to break away, distancing himself from me. I noticed that he wasn't as swift to block me as I did to him, but what he lacked in defense he made up for with power and offensive speed. He also quickly dodged and avoided my attacks when he could, trying to move around to put me in a hold of some kind, an arm bar by the looks of it. I played it off as though he were taking me by surprise by the maneuver, a way to misdirect him so that I could sweep his legs when he goes for it next. He might throw me off, but it would put him on edge. A brilliant, sharp way to say 'I have the full house here, I call your bluff'. I knew he was bluffing with the worry now, but his nerves were obviously still present and humming loudly. I had yet to truly call him on it yet, so I would have to wait until he made the next move.

He obliged the unspoken challenge, taking the swift and easy approach to go after my arm for a quick bar, maybe a throw as well. I didn't expect _this_, as he usually took a more indirect approach, but I was still able to sweep him to his right, this time on instinct. He crashed to the ground, landing on his right shoulder and bouncing enough to keep him still long enough that I was able to reach him and attempt an arm bar of my own. He threw me off just as quickly as I reached him, but it left him slightly shaken. He was far less eager to outright attack me, but he did press the offensive and started a grappling match with me. He was unable to pin me due to my smaller size and quicker reflexes, but I could never actually affect him mostly because he kept throwing me off. He was quick enough to avoid me a couple of times, and I did have to squirm out of his grasp once or twice, but for the most part it was too difficult to even try. We backed off quickly, reaching our ends of the ring and catching our collective breath for a brief moment. We then began to circle one another, almost like a predator prowling around its equally powerful prey. The question was no longer 'who was the predator', as it was no longer about who could push the other down. It was a matter of climbing higher and staying there, something which I could now easily do. Burning Wrath had quickly enhanced itself over the past few weeks, as Minor, Cinder, and sometimes Magnus would all almost always push me to bring it out in recent months, allowing me to basically double its efficiency with my Emotion, which was now 150. I could now last five full minutes with the Ability before I had to go all out with it, a feat I once thought would be impossible for another year or so. Of course, that was dealing with my Ability, not my actual psyche. The latter was still fragile from less than a year ago… and I'm completely off topic now. Awesome.

On the other hand, I knew that he had some Skills hiding up his sleeve, ones which I didn't know about before and might not even know about until much later. He could easily pull one of those off and force my hand in a rough way, but I was prepared for that just in case. I psyched myself up silently for the next wave before charging in myself.

Cardin was caught completely off his guard, allowing me to push him closer to the edge of the ring. I was on the offensive through and through, giving no quarter and letting no single second pass by without delivering some kind of strike, whether he blocked it or not. I had yet to unleash Burning Wrath, telling me that he had yet to raise his guard. I silently unleashed it, giving me a sort of great equalizer to his immense strength. He was pushed further and further back, not expecting the strength boost, but I could see in his eyes the desperation surge in him. I had to finish it then or -

He quickly spun around so that I was now at the edge of the ring, forcing me on the defensive. Or so I thought until his right fist began to glow, the orange light taking the shape of a roaring lion head of fire. His open left palm began to do the same, and he threw a right hook that struck me in the shoulder. I didn't have enough time to fully turn before he hit me, and his attack turned me to face him. His palm struck me next, hitting me in the chest and sending me flying into the bush. The same one with the Earth Mage I had caught earlier. I was completely stunned, so much so that I only recognized that the hands around me were malicious by their bulk, that I didn't know when he had let go until I heard a muffled cry of pain right next to me following a sharp crack that I didn't even think sounded like thunder until a few seconds after it went off, that I didn't realize that I had been pushed to the side as Minor and Dominic rushed the Earth Mage and mercilessly subdued him. I didn't even realize that I had darted off to the front porch in a frenzied flight while everyone else was distracted with the Mage. I mean, I recognized what had happened, but it didn't click immediately. I just felt… wrong.

The Mage had threatened to take my life if anyone moved to stop his escape with me, and Dominic shot his arm. Minor pushed me away from the Mage to protect me, a noble act which I would have taken the wrong way had I not been so delayed in registering everything. Less than a minute passed before I subconsciously got up and ran, passing through the empty condo, around the kitchen island and out the front door, where I stumbled and fell into a polished and enameled brass chair. It was here that I let it all out, my Emotion falling to zero as I ceased to resist the urge to cry. To rage. To cut loose in some way, vent the stress that has been building up for some time.

The whole time this happened, I couldn't help but feel inferior to Cardin. He had used a Combat Spell on me, two in succession no less. I hadn't even had the chance to learn one. His Martial Art was stronger than mine, as he was able to keep pace with me as easily as he did with so few moves in his repertoire. I was also weaker than he was, despite training twice daily and wrestling with him once every other day. He was also a higher tier than I was in the same Class that I was cursed with skipping. I was almost shaking at this point as I cried. I didn't feel the pair of arms wrap around me gently after what felt like an hour.

Needless to say, Cardin and I didn't really interact for the rest of the day. I don't know why he didn't take pride in his accomplishments like he usually would, but he didn't. Not even when I was in another room.

I didn't get to sleep that night, as I would see the Carters looking down on me in disappointment every single time I closed my eyes for longer than ten seconds. I even tried to head to the Skills Plains to calm down, and I was interrupted before I could even access them. Gary wasn't even there to talk to me, but I could tell that it wasn't talkative right now. Not that I could blame the creature. That was a rough spot in training that day.

_Current XP: 351.0 of 1160. XP to Gary: 12,405.4 (rounded to the nearest tenth from 0.38). Training time: 5 months, 28 days._

* * *

The next morning, I was still in a rough spot. Cardin was with Dominic still, but said Baron Knight was concerned about his technique and was having Magnus help to refine my brother's skillset, so I went to training with him rather than alone as I would prefer. The walk was so silent that I could hear the Earth Elemental following us, using a fading Invisibility Enchantment to stay out of sight. Not that it would help a sentient boulder to hide, but the thought was amusing where it counted.

"So why didn't you use a Combat Spell yesterday," Cardin asked me innocently. I flinched at the reminder. "I don't mean to be rude or anything, but you seem kinda… upset with me. Almost like you wanted to use one but I never gave you the chance."

I stayed silent for a few unbearable moments. It was as if he thought it was possible for me to learn, at this point. Not that I could, to be brutally honest. It was like asking a baby why it couldn't talk yet. It just… didn't work like that. I fought the urge to snap at him, resisting with a few deep breaths, and went on to think of a way to explain it to him in a way that made sense to him.

"Cardin, I don't get it," I finally gave up trying to explain, instead turning the queries to him. He turned a questioning gaze on me. "How can you be so much stronger than I am? How can you know the types of Spells that I haven't even begun to study yet? How is it even possible?"

"Whoa, Jaune," Cardin backed away in surprise. "Where is this all coming from? What do you mean, how am I stronger? I don't understand." I let out my breath, inhaled deeply to calm down, and thought of a way to explain myself.

"Cardin, I've been training twice a day every day for almost half a year now," I told him. "From the time I get there up to lunchtime, I'm working myself up to the point where I'm more sweaty than I got the entire day before. After that, I'm sweating even more to learn new Spells and Paladin… _things_. My Strength, Resistance, Intelligence, and everything else between them has dropped and skyrocketed so many times I don't even care to keep track of it all. I do this all to keep up with you, but I just…" _I can't do it._ The implications were there. He picked up on them and came closer to me.

Cardin was quiet for a moment as he processed the information, a look of concentration etched on his forehead. He reached around the handle of his mace to scratch behind his neck. I waited for his answer, growing unnaturally impatient as I did. The silence only lasted five minutes at most, but to me it felt like hours. He did finally respond though.

"I get it," he said to me. "Honestly, I just… didn't want to get left behind." I was confused by this, but he quickly explained. "You work so hard all the time to keep up with everyone else, and I guess I just… I wanted to keep pace with you. I wanted to work as hard as you do, and I still do. I guess I took it a bit far, huh?"

I remained silent. I didn't realize how he felt, but I still felt inferior. I wanted to know his secret. What did he know that I didn't?

"So, what about that Combat Spell thing," he repeated his previous inquiry as we got up to the house. "Why didn't you show it off?"

"I don't have one," I answered clear as day. "I'm not learning that kind of Spell and Skill. I barely even know its name, 'Combat Spell'. Is it some kind of Arcane Spell or something?"

"I… well, I dunno," he breathed. "I've never even heard the word 'arcane'. Is it, like, some sort of advanced Mage thing?"

"I dunno, ask Cinder," I told him. "The most I know is a Living Fire Punch, Guard, and Flamethrower. The rest was from the Tomes I got from Volcan. Anything else is hand to hand. Sorry."

Cardin scratched his chin as I knocked on the door. We were let in by a barely awake Minor, who showed us in. Saffron and Terra had yet to wake up, so they obviously wouldn't be here to help with making breakfast. Since Magnus and Atlanta were sleeping in later than Minor after the doctor came to visit her, that means that unless Minor lets someone in to help with breakfast, the family unit generally skips it now. Currently, it was Cinder in the kitchen, happily cooking away and humming to herself… using her Infernal Flames as a heat source. Cardin stared on in a mix of awe and fear at the woman cooking away from the stove, using her own flames to cook instead of a wood fire or heat coil. I patted him on the shoulder and invited him to help me set the table, and he silently agreed.

The hour passed before Cinder was done, and Atlanta began to stir from her slumber. Magnus rose groggily and closed the door to their room for a few minutes. At around this time, Dominic entered the house and Saffron came through the front door with Terra in tow. Saffron seemed outright exhausted today, whereas Terra was lively as ever. The Earth Elemental behind Cardin and I began to stir, and I ignored this movement. I placed a plate on the table, pausing to hear the clatter of ceramic on wood as it was gently muffled by the soft crunch of paper. I picked the plate back up and moved the paper to the side, setting the plate back down and retrieving what quickly became evident was a note.

_They're on the move_, the note read. _The Hallowed Earth will burn the Hallowed Wood in one week. Hurry, Sprout. Save Mother._

The Elemental collapsed into rubble on the floor behind me, returning the Earth to where it came from. A hint of Life left its body and dispersed through the air. Concerning, quite frankly, but somewhat cool all the same. I could tell who wrote it and sent it, but how the Dryad did so confused me.

"I'm not sure what happened, but it certainly left a mess of things," Minor commented. He took note of the note. "And a note, it seems. Does it carry a threat to you, Cardin? One of your siblings?"

"Might as well," I growled, folding the note tenderly before fitting it in the pocket of my jacket. A countdown started in my head. 7, 4, 23. Seven days, four hours, 23 minutes. The forest would burn then if I didn't act quickly. "They're gonna burn the Hallowed Wood in just over a week, seven days from now. At noon, by the looks of it."

"An emergency quest," Cardin muttered, having seen the note that spawned it. "I thought those were rare?"

"Usually, yes," Cinder stated, tenderly pointing Atlanta towards the hot tea. "In some places, it's so common it's rare that a day goes by without some kind of emergency. Been to one before, it's a bit too exciting for me."

"Don't burn the forest," Atlanta muttered, still somehow asleep on her feet. She realized the awkwardness of her statement after a few seconds and sighed. "Morning mind, don't ask."

"Not asking," Cardin raised his hands in surrender. The Life Mage smiled sweetly. "Although, what's gonna burn the forest, if I may ask?"

"Hallowed Earth," I answered simply. Cardin groaned loud enough to make some of the glasses ring. "What about Quartz, how's he?"

"He's having problems with the whole set, same with the extra pauldron," Cardin recalled. I gave him a funny look, silently asking how he knew that. "I usually train in the mornings, spar in the evenings."

My expression went blank. Of course he would. No wonder he was so strong. I find myself getting jealous each and every time he talks about his training. I really do want to be like him sometimes. Must be so great.

"_Anyways_, he said your knives should be done after next week, the pauldron in twice that," Cardin stated. "He's focusing on reinforcing my new mace, should be done tomorrow morning. Maybe I could test it out on some Earthen asses."

"Not before you refine your techniques, you will not," Dominic said, ruffling Cardin's brown hair. "Well done with the Combat Spell, by the way. I'm surprised that your brother didn't do the same first." My face fell, and I immediately began droning through setting the table. "Seems he's jealous, too."

"Um, he doesn't know any Combat Spells," Cardin blurted. Cinder groaned and rolled her eyes.

"Arcane Spells are superior, in case there was ever any doubt," the raven-haired woman huffed.

"And how long do they take to cast?" Dominic returned. "Combat Spells come a dime a dozen. Tell me you at least taught the boy Fire _Punch_."

"Living Fire, too," Cinder nodded proudly. "I just can't teach him Combat Spells because I don't use them."

"Why in the world not," the Baron Knight demanded.

"Because Arcane Mages can cast Arcane Spells much faster than a Spellsword can a Combat Spell," the Infernal Sorceress returned. "Besides, he's a Paladin. Soon, he'll be casting just as quickly, so why inhibit him?"

"Fair points all around, but he's gotta be _at_ that point first, right?"

"Oh, but he's close. Closer than I was at his age, and I was a prodigy."

"Then why doesn't he even know a basic Arcane Spell?"

"Because I don't want to," she explained in front of me. "At his current level, even teaching him a basic Fire Bomb might end up burning him past repair, and I'm not risking getting on Magnus's bad side, let alone Minor's. Those two _are_ my polar opposites, in their own special ways."

Oh. I feel a _bit_ better. Not _much_, but a bit.

"Then why teach him?"

"Oh, believe me, I'd love nothing more than to let Magnus have at him while I get Minor to myself for the evening, but Magnus asked me to help him so I am. It's called being nice, you should try it sometime."

"Oh, you are a handful. No wonder we broke up."

Atlanta cleared her throat loudly. She pointed to myself and Cardin, then dragged her fingers across her lips as if to zip them closed. Cinder got quiet quickly for some unknown reason. Dominic simply cackled proudly, thinking he had won until he heard the sounds of a matchstick being lit. He looked behind him to see an annoyed Magnus standing behind him, bearing a miniature sun in his left hand alone. Magnus's hair was heavily disheveled, eyes red from exhaustion.

"My wife has been turning in her sleep all night, and I spent that time comforting her as best I could," Magnus growled, expression unchanging as his irises began to glow a golden orange. "I am very, _very_ tired, so try _not_ to cause a scene. I truly, honestly don't want to deal with your glory-driven madness today. Do. Not. Test. Me. Today. Understood?"

Dominic huffed and took his seat. Is this what Cardin and Sky have to deal with on a regular basis? Cardin pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. I'll take that as a yes.

Sky entered the building, bringing with him and his heartbeat a powerful breeze. Fitting, given his name is literally _Sky_. Dominic, Rote as he was once called in his prime, is just an airy proud noble with a stick up the wrong end. I find him to be a bit over the top and equally unlikable, but that's not to say that I _dis_like him. He's not a bad man, even if he isn't a gentleman in the sense that Magnus is. Dad would not have liked him, that's for certain.

Sky offered to help with the table and whatnot, to which Dominic told him not to bother, as I and Cardin 'seem to have gotten got all'. Cinder had just finished the last of the meal, a piece of which Dominic snatched swiftly and devoured whole without waiting for it to be set out. On second thought, he's not just unlikable, he's outright detestable. I wouldn't put it past him to pull something despicable behind our backs.

* * *

"Again." I threw a swift jab. "Again." Another swift jab, this time with the other side. "You're favoring your right side. Be _flexible_. Again." Another jab. "Again." Another jab.

Minor had a good idea with the whole trainer trade thing, but there was one small issue I had with Dominic: he was _telling_, not _showing_. I had asked him to show me once, and he was quick to call me weak for asking for help. This infuriated me slightly, but I knew better than to challenge a master. Besides, it was almost time for lunch, meaning soon I would be able to skip this horrid session.

That's not to say that I haven't improved at all. He quickly figured out that in order to keep me from favoring a single side of my body, I needed to practice with the other side until I had it equal with my other side consistently. He would have me do just that, following up immediately with training both sides in equal proportions. I swiftly mastered White and Yellow Belts, moving on with Orange and what I knew. Combine that with the fact that he was throwing random information at me in the middle, throwing fake strikes my way in an attempt to sharpen my senses and reflexes, and sometimes weighing my arms and legs down so that my Strength would build quicker, and he was almost lethally efficient in his training. No wonder Cardin is so skilled, so much stronger than I am.

"Keep in mind that this training is not meant for Paladins, prodigies, or Life softies," Dominic warned me as he threw a fake punch at my face. I ducked under his arm and threw a swift jab at his stomach with my weaker left arm. I heard an audible pop similar to what I could do with my right arm. "This is meant for Heavy Knights and similar Classes. The fact that you're keeping pace with Cardin tells me that you're adamant if nothing else. That attitude might get you places if you used it right, but you should learn to control it." He threw a punch to my shoulder, making contact with my raised left forearm with a painful slap. "Harness it." A high kick that I quickly ducked under. "Make it work for you." A leg sweep that I barely jumped over. I didn't expect him to make a second pass with the same sweep, catching my right ankle and sending me to the grass with a _whump_. I used my new position to relax a little, calm down my breathing before I got up again.

"Lunch," I heard Cinder call from the house. Dominic offered me a hand up, which I took. I was ready for another surprise attack, a drop and lock to catch me off guard, but it luckily never came despite him having the opportunity.

"However," he continued. "Despite your many flaws and setbacks, I must admit your strengths where they exist. You're swift to adapt, to grow, you're wise enough to hold back your obvious temper towards me, and you're cunning enough to put me to shame in that regard. Doubtless you would defeat me were you to attain my level of mastery. That being said, I hope you grow past or around your weaknesses, boy."

I nodded as we made our way to Minor and Magnus, who were helping Cardin and Sky with Judo and Karate all respectively. After lunch, Cinder _and_ Magnus were going to help me with the evening training. After that, I would be sparring _again_ with one of Dominic's students, this time Sky.

As we made our way over, I felt a sharp pain in both my chest and mind. To be honest, I had no comparison to make with it, not even pins and needles or getting hit with whatever Cardin hit me with yesterday. For a brief moment, I felt both larger and smaller than I have ever felt before. It was like I was bound to something big and small at the same time, yet the pain felt so personal I couldn't see past it.

_Hurry, Sprout_, I heard reverberate through my very being. _The Hallowed Earth is stirring once more._

I had no idea that my body had pulsed with Life energy until I regained my senses to see myself standing in a small patch of grass longer than the rest. I felt a huge pit where the pain had begun, one I recognized to be the same emptiness that I feel after using all of my Element. That wouldn't surprise me if it weren't for the fact that I felt no less Element than before the sudden spark of agony.

Seconds after my senses returned I was hit with an equally intense wave of nausea that made the world start spinning as fast as the blades of a turbine. I couldn't just shut my eyes and not see it, as it was digging too deep into each of my senses for me to just block off. I had to be carried inside and onto the sofa, the nausea was so bad. I literally couldn't move an inch, even if I wanted to, and believe me I wanted to. The only problem with that was the fact that when I tried to move my arm, my kidney would squeeze slightly instead; moving my arm would twist my stomach, turning my head would make my diaphragm tense up, and even clenching would make me feel a tension in my lower groin region for some odd reason. I couldn't even move my eyes without getting too dizzy to think. And to top it all off, my head and heart still hurt like crazy.

What felt like an entire day later, I got to the point where I was able to move again, where I was gently cuddled by my siblings and immediately barraged with a dozen questions a second. "What happened?" I didn't know other than what I saw and felt. "Are you alright?" No, I am still in the region of pain known as 'the exact opposite of alright'. "How did you get such a big Debuff?" What Debuff, I've been out for heaven only knows how long. "Why is your Elemental Resistance so high now?" I don't even know what happened, let alone how it left me. "Can you still train?" I don't know, ask whatever weirdness just attacked me.

"How long was I like this," I asked when I was finally able to speak without being rude. "Is lunch over already?"

"Luckily for you, it hasn't even started yet," Cinder explained. "As for how long you've been out, it's only been ten, maybe fifteen minutes since I called for you boys. I would say that you've been out for just as much time if not less."

"If you would let me, I have a way to see his Debuff," Atlanta mentioned. "Zach, fetch me the Stats Glass for me?"

"Right here," Magnus handed her the magnifying glass with the golden tinted lense. She took the lens with a gentle thank you and peered at me through them. Her eyes squinted as she read me like a book. Once done, she nodded and set the lens down.

"Well, I didn't expect _this_, specifically," she muttered. "Jaune, it seems as though your Dryad friend managed to use a special link with you to communicate with you directly. The same link that keeps Gary from feeding on you more than he should."

"For those of us who have no idea what that means, what does that mean," Dominic demanded impatiently. I rolled my eyes at his shrewd comment.

"It means that a Life Guardian he's friends with talked with him," she explained. "It widened a hole in his Elemental Resistance as any extra Life energy went through to his side, most likely due to the fact that it was a one-way message. Any Life energy that went through to him escaped his body and into the surrounding environment, causing that sudden growth in the grass around him. He can safely fill the gap now, but I doubt that it would be wise since he may get another message through the same medium."

"In stupid people terms, this means," Sky asked.

"It means my Dryad friend talked to me from a distance away," I explained, understanding it somewhat myself. "I'm guessing that tearing a hole in my Resistance caused me to get that huge Debuff." Atlanta nodded. "Is training still a thing?"

"No worries," Magnus said. "After lunch, you, myself, and Cinder will all go out and work on your Elemental control. A vital part of learning Spells, if I do say so myself. Specifically, we will hopefully get you through Elemental Control I, II, and III."

Oh boy. I may be in over my head here.

**End**

* * *

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait. I got distracted with things, and I apologize for that. In other news, by the time I'm finishing this chapter my brother has started walking again. He needs a crutch or cane to walk now, as well as a brace to help him walk, but he can walk again. He's getting the screws removed from his femur towards the end of this month, so things are looking bright for him in the future.**

**I also figured out that I was half-right in terms of my computer. It **_**was**_ **the motherboard all along. And the power supply was a crappy brand, but the excuse for an upgrade still exists and still applies. I just want to be able to install another OS on the hard drive before I go on and make the upgrade, hence my trying to fix the damned thing. My God, this has taken so long. I'm about to start college **_**again**_**, get a job **_**somewhere**_**, turn 21, and get a driver's license, and it isn't fixed yet.**

**But nevermind about all of that. I hope that it isn't too rushed, and I truly hope that at least some of you enjoy it. If you find that something needs changing or fixing, please tell me so that I can and will. Please don't tell me 'Sturgeon's Law', as that really doesn't help me improve as a writer. If something is wrong, be at least plot point specific, as anything more specific risks being redundant and less so tells me nothing. Not trying to be picky, but I am genuinely worried about this chapter. As the audience, please help an author and tell him how well and/or poor he did.**

**With that said, I need to get off shortly. This is General Texas, having typing problems. And signing out, that too… signing out.**


	13. Chapter 13 - Special

**This chapter's gonna be really short today. A few good things happened, but something really hit home for me and I just can't keep it down today. Don't worry, I'm physically more than okay. I'm just emotionally thrown to the Abyss right now.**

**Starting with the positives, my 21st birthday was the first Wednesday of August, so I can officially (eventually) buy my own beer once I update my ID. Yippee! Secondly, my brother is officially out of the brace and can start leg presses soon. He'll also be in his HS marching show this year, so he's both happy and offended by fellow brass players with no respect for injuries. And thirdly, this week I went in for an ultrasound on my heart, since about a decade ago I had a heart murmur and I wanted to see if it was still there. Perfectly enough, the murmur was gone. My heart is officially healed.**

**And now for the sad part. On the day I'm writing this, August 15, 2019, I learned that tragedy and Death struck earlier on Monday. The timing couldn't be worse, given the recent weapons-related events. I was completely ignorant to quite a few things, as I tend to do when bad things come around, when my brother came home from band. I overheard him talking about his director conducting the fight song in memory of an alumnus who recently died. When I asked who it was, the answer shook my very soul.**

**He was an old friend of mine, Garrett Bednarz. We had graduated in the same year, took a few classes together, and were even fellow French Horn players on both the marching field and in the concert halls. We had our moments of fun and laughter, and despite my clear anger management problems at the time he remained a close acquaintance until the year we graduated three years ago. In three years I forgot about him, and at the end I was reminded only by a name. Garrett. My father wrote a story on his death, my brother played a song in his memory alongside the band, and his loss struck me hard. In a single motorcycle accident, a friend I hadn't seen in years was taken away.**

**Normally, in a situation like this, I would feel obligated to shed tears and force them out. Normally, I would feel angry with God or whatever took his life that he was taken in the first place. Normally, I would be upset that I learned about it after the fact. But this time, I didn't feel that. I mean I did, but I couldn't bring myself to act on it. Instead, in trying to do so, I ended up pulling old memories of my lost friend to the surface and I cried. I cried a lot. Even when the old family dogs Pebbles and Boomer died, I forced more tears than I actually shed, but in remembering just the times I could recall with Garrett I actually bawled.**

**This chapter may end up unfinished, but I need to get it out now. Loss affects people differently, and with me it brings out the little worker drone in me that doesn't stop until the grief goes away, and today it just so happens to bring along some regrets and guilt along the way.**

**Garrett, I'm gonna miss you buddy. Wish we could've had one last good time together, maybe had a beer or something. I guess I should save that for in Heaven, where the good times don't run out. I'll see you there.**

* * *

**Jaune Arc (14)**

**Level 28 Paladin (unaligned)**

**Passive XP: 0.6 per day**

**XP to Level 29: 375.2 of 1175**

**XP to Gary: 14,690.38**

**Base Armor: 73.8**

**Stats**

**Strength: 186 (Labor 57, Combat 124, Force 97, Control 100), Intelligence: 137 (Wisdom 62, Intelligence 63, Technical 42, Strategy 54), Constitution: 164 (Immunity 91, Endurance 198, Tolerance 164, Maga 201), Agility: 260 (Balance 99, Flexibility 78, Speed 83), Social: 103 (Emotion 150, Compassion 106), Resistance: 202 (Physical 202, Magical 200, Elemental 199)**

**Equipment**

**Leather Padded Woven Jacket (Armor 24, Weight 0.15, Movement 0.1), Keratin-Brass Armored Leather Vest (Armor 38, Weight 0.25, Movement 0.15, Combat Buff), Keratin-Brass Armored Woven Pants (Armor 28, Weight 0.2, Movement 0.15, Defense Buff), Keratin-Plated Leather Boots (Armor 12, Weight 0.05, Movement 0.05), Keratin-Brass Pauldron (Armor 16, Weight 0.05, Movement 0, Armor Buff), Steel Healing Sword Tier III (Piercing 42, Weight 4, Sturdiness 56, Element 125 Life, heals wielder passively), Steel Fire Sword Tier III (Piercing 44, Weight 4, Sturdiness 54, Element 126 Fire, increases effectiveness of Fire attacks by 65%, inflicts Burning debuff on targets with less than 50 Elemental Resistance)**

**Total Armor: 97.4**

**Abilities**

**Element Seeker, Burning Wrath (New Discovery)**

**Skills**

**Nature's Eye, Heart's Eye, Dust Acquisition, Elemental Acquisition, Fishing III, Hunting III, Survival III, Cooking III (Self-Taught), Metalworking III, Weapons Basics III, Unarmed Combat IV, Defense I, Enhanced Takedowns, Armed Takedowns, Monster Knowledge I, Elemental Knowledge VI, Fire Efficiency, Life Efficiency, Maga Efficiency, Stats, Pathfinder, Mountain Climber, Elemental Summon, Seeker (Self-Taught), Rapid Fire, Blade Summon (Self-Taught), Culture I, Triple Cast (advanced Dual Cast), Dynamo Repair Basics (Self-Taught)**

**Spells**

**Living Fireball III, Living Flame Pulse III, Flamethrower III, Flame Missile II, Flame Dispel II, Flame Wings, Flame Embodiment, Meteoric Punch II, Sulfur Blast, Pyre, Basalt Skin, Healer IV, Root Punch II, Cedar Oak, Sturdy Roots, Forest Camouflage, Peat Bomb II, Lightning Bolt II, Living Flame Punch II, Living Flame Guard, Living Flamethrower Punch II**

**Martial Arts**

**Muay Thai: Orange Belt Mastery I, Orange Belt Mastery II: 14/100**

**Buffs**

**Weakness, Second Opinion, XP Drain, Symbiotic Binds, Nature's Grace, Comfortable, Puberty, Recent Tragedy, Training, Recent Happiness, Recent Attack, New Discovery, Worrisome Knowledge, Broken (something made him feel completely inferior or lagging too far behind, all stats efficiency dropped moderately), New Ability Incoming (88%), Combat: Strength (increases combat effectiveness by 25%, effective Combat Strength by 2), Defense: Resistance (increases defensive Skill and item effectiveness by 15%, effective Resistance by 2), Armor: Penetration (increases Total Armor by an additional 10% of Base Armor, decreases effective Piercing of incoming attacks by 2)**

**Class Buffs: Healing Aura, Defensive Aura**

**Active Quests: Hallowed Root Dryad (6 days, 22 hours, 34 minutes)**

* * *

I blocked another intense fireball, one which exploded with enough force that I should have been thrown back a distance. Luckily for me, I was training two things at once: my Balance and Strength stats, which both desperately needed attention given the Martial Art I was learning; and the Living Flame Guard, which was on the verge of a breakthrough towards its second tier. I was having problems with the Spell beforehand, but today was especially difficult due to my emotional state. See, the Guard weakened when I felt weak, even if I wasn't getting hit. After yesterday's bout with Cardin, I was definitely feeling weak, weaker than anyone if I were being honest. It got to the point where I wasn't even putting forth enough Maga and Element to put forth a decent resistance, at which point Cinder offered to teach me something about Arcane and Combat Spells if I managed to reach the second tier. It raised my motivation, if just barely, and I could tell that I was close to reaching that second tier. The fact that it wasn't happening already was annoying, as it seemed as though I was stagnating at this point.

"Keep going, Jaune," Cinder pushed me on. "You're almost there, I can see it. Just a little further."

I grunted as I took another hit with the Spell. This one did send me back slightly, but nothing I couldn't recover from. I pushed more Element into the Spell in an attempt to strengthen the barrier. It began to revert back into its old form, the first tier form, and I quickly undid my actions, willing it to remain. It barely held as it was, taking another direct Infernal Fireball. I stood my ground, thinking quickly as to how I could make it stronger. Thinking quickly, I recalled what Quartz would say about stronger armors and the like.

_A good defense needs a good foundation_, he once told me while he was tinkering in his room. _Your defense, as well as your offense, is only as good as what it is built upon. You could have the tallest, thickest wall of the strongest metals in the world, but if it's held up by a weak wood then it will collapse almost immediately. At the same time, it's also dependent on how that foundation is made. Another example is a house whose walls are held up from the outside, or set up with beams that never connect or support one another. If you have a poor foundation or poor materials for your foundation, anything you may try to accomplish will inevitably break. That's why I always base my armor mails with a wire weave - as stiff as it may end up being, it always holds stronger than any normal chainmail or even a scale mail._

Taking this information into account, I quickly reformed the Maga within the Guard into thin interconnected wires, reinforced with Life and solidified with Fire. After that, I began weaving the rest of what was in the Guard into this new defensive mesh. I began to worry that it wouldn't hold, as there were minor gaps within the Guard left over. After the next hit, which surprisingly didn't tear the whole thing apart and gave me a minor confidence boost, I immediately began rearranging the threads so that any gaps were sparse and supported by the stronger weaves.

One more Fireball came my way, and I raised my Guard. The fiery attack struck the guard, forcing my forearm to work overtime to counter the forces, but the Guard held steady. I felt a massive breakthrough coming from this particular Spell, and I felt somewhere that all I needed to do was to tighten the threads, tie off loose ends, and solidify the whole structure on my forearm. The threads went taut, any loose ends towards the outside of the Guard were quickly tied together, and the Spell solidified just in time to block the next Fireball. Now on my arm was a shield of woven Maga and Elements, capable of pushing off a weapon with a Piercing of 45 and below. And all it took to summon was just a mere 25 Maga and 15 of both Fire and Life. I allowed the Elements and Maga to marry within the Guard, with the task completed by the time I was forced to block another Fireball. I felt a sort of harmony within myself, and I knew that I had gotten it. My confidence boosted to previously lost levels, I dissipated the Spell and recast it as it was when it reached the second tier. As it was with our usual routine, I blocked a Fireball with the Spell, dismissed said Spell, then brought it back to repeat the process, all in the hopes that casting it would become muscle memory. It usually did happen, but one time I failed to remember how to create a Flamethrower II and ended up having to relearn the whole Spell all over again.

After about thirty minutes of practice, once I had run myself dry of Maga and Element, Cinder and I both took a break under the patio shade. Exhausted, I drained an entire two canteens of water before simply sitting down and letting my body rest. Cinder refuelled her Elements as she rested, beaming at me in pride.

"You said earlier that you would tell me about Arcane and Combat Spells once I learned that Tier II Spell, right," I breathed, still breathing heavily. I sensed that my Balance and Strength were somewhat lower than before, as I have learned was usual after a rigorous training session, and figured that I would probably gain as much as I lost when I recovered (in other words, if I lost 15 Strength out of 30, the next day I would have 45 total Strength). It was usually either that or a little less unless I completely exhausted myself. I registered the gentle warmth of 5 XP added to what I already had for learning the new Spell Tier.

"That I did," Cinder responded as she relaxed in the shade. The Infernal Fire Dust in her hand drained completely, and she set it down on the bench next to her. "Now, I had to learn this the hard way when I was around your age, so try not to get too upset about this. You promise that you won't get upset when I tell you this?" I eagerly nodded. "Say it."

"I promise, I won't get upset about it," I said, almost meaning it. I was too excited to truly 'promise' anything, and even if I did mean to follow through there was a slim chance that I would fail right out the gate.

"Alright," Cinder said, taking my word for it. "You can't even _begin_ to learn an Arcane or Combat Spell until you reach Level 30."

My eye twitched a couple of times before it stopped. My jaw fell open slightly, then began to do the fish-lips dance, and finally closed as I accepted this information. While upsetting, it made complete sense to me now. Cardin was obviously going to be ahead of me, given that _I_ was the one with the Parasite, but this, as unfair as it was, was perfectly reasonable.

"Cinder dear," Minor called. Cinder turned her head to her lover with a smile. "Magnus and I are going to pay a visit. To our old teacher. If you're not coming, keep an eye on Jaune and the house while we're gone. Would you please?"

"May I come with," I asked, temporarily forgetting that their teacher was my father. As I wondered about who it was, I recalled the moment at which he finally passed on, with one last kiss to his loving wife and a hand held out for each of his children, five hands in his left and five in his right. I felt a tear threaten to fall from my right eye as more welled up in my left.

"Of course," Minor nodded in understanding. He noticed Cinder getting up as well. "I take it you're coming with?"

"I am," she stated. "I know how much you all miss him."

* * *

At the cemetery, I stood alongside the adults, right next to my adopted brother and our three friends. Off to the side, right next to Dad's grave, stood a lonely grave with one lone young man standing in front of it. He had messy brown hair that fell just past his shoulder blades tied up in the back, a dark curly goatee long enough that one could start making small braids with the strands, and a soft angular face. His blue-grey eyes stared at the grave before him, with deep dark circles under them moist and raw with tears. He outright towered over Dominic, easily rising above my own teachers in sheer height and breadth at his shoulders. His barely plushy torso bore a plain white shirt, a hooded open-front maroon jacket over it, and a black open vest over that. His legs were covered by khaki pants with enough pockets to keep muggers busy for hours, and his feet were adorned with black cotton shoes with a rubber sole. How he was able to afford any of this was incredible, but what caught my eye wasn't what he wore. It was the name on the grave, as well as what he said to me.

"Doesn't get any easier, does it," he asked me silently, never glancing my way but acknowledging me all the same. His accent reminded me of a frontiersman in the Unexplored Regions, although his was as clean as a city goer around this region.

"Not really," Cardin stated. "Definitely not the first time." The man chuckled softly, wiping a few tears with his sleeve.

"Yeah, you hear about enough deaths, you run out of tears to shed, anger to burn," the stranger stated, staring at the name on the headstone before him. _Garrett_. The rest was blocked off by his towering visage. "Still, at some point you run across one that hits a bit too close to home, and you just can't help but remember the guy. Or girl, or whoever. And once you start doin' that, you start missing 'em. And that'll lead you to a few tears, and those really don't stop once you start."

"Not when it's fresh," Cardin claimed, turning back to Dad's grave.

"Nah, not really," the man agreed. He was quiet for a moment before sahil g something that really struck a chord with me, a lesson that would stick with me throughout my life. "But you can't dwell on the bad things forever. Think of all the good times you had with 'em. All the good times you'll have with 'em in Heaven. Besides, you focus on the bad, you'll eventually run out and stop caring. The good just doesn't quit being so good, even if the bad dies down a little and even if you forget. You can't undo their death, but you _can_ remember their life. 'Ats what I've learned, at least. Everyone's different, personal experience."

That bit of information eased the pain slightly, even if it didn't remove the trauma of the experience. I mean, I knew that I would see Dad again in the afterlife, but I hadn't thought of remembering him like that. The moment I did, the moment I recalled even one good time with him back when he was alive, I felt relieved somewhat. True, I did shed a tear or two, but the burden of remembering him was so much easier. This guy, if nothing else, was good.

"A wise course of action," Cardin noted, nodding at the man. "What's your name, anyways?"

"Right, I forgot," the man chuckled, turning his head slightly to glance passingly at us. "Talking to strangers. Name's Josh, I'm from Amarillo."

"The frontier city," I realized. "Nice place to live, I hear. I'm Jaune."

"Cardin," my brother introduced himself. "A pleasure."

"Same," the man nodded to us.

"_Yo Sasquatch_," a man only a few years older than Cardin and I yet just as tall as Josh yelled from the entrance of the cemetery, surprisingly sounding like he was right next to us despite being over a neighborhood block away. "_You ready to go yet?!_"

"_Yeah, I'm coming_," Josh yelled back. "_Just gimme a second!_ Pleasure to meet you two boys, but I gotta go. See y'all around, see you, Garrett." With that, the man trotted off at a speed even Minor couldn't match if he was on fire, revealing the family name on the grave. Bednarz. I gave a tiny salute to that grave before turning back to Dad's grave.

**End.**

**That one was for you, Garrett. Rest in peace, and have fun with God while I'm still here. See you around, buddy.**

**Josh, AKA General Texas, signing out for the night.**


End file.
